Say Something
by MuffinLove03
Summary: After years apart, Arnold and Helga are reunited for one brief summer and must come to terms with their complicated past. With Arnold's grandma's health declining and Helga assisting with her best friend's wedding planning, the time will finally come for these two to say the things that always needed to be said. Language and some intense themes in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**[A/N: Hey guys! I felt the call and followed it! Here I am, starting yet another story. Hey, when inspiration hits, you follow it, right? XD I have a lot of ideas for this fic and I hope you enjoy where it goes! Let me know what you think!**

**D/C: I don't own Hey Arnold!]**

**Friday, May 30th**

"I.D. please?" Arnold asked his patron as he put the burly man's six pack into a plain black plastic bag.

"Is that really necessary?" The man, who was obviously well over 21, gestured to himself and gave Arnold an 'Are you serious?' look.

"I'm sorry," Arnold said with a shrug. "I'm supposed to ask everyone,"

The man muttered curses as he reached into his back pocket to retrieve his wallet.

Arnold had been working at a liquor store a couple blocks away from home for the past three weeks to help pay the bills. At 22 he never expected he'd still be living in his grandparents' boarding house but here he was, checking the identification of an ornery middle-aged man as the smell of cardboard boxes and cigarette smoke from the people outside tickled his nose.

"Have a great day," Arnold offered as he finished up the transaction and the man grabbed his beer from the countertop, squinting at Arnold as he turned to the door.

Arnold sighed and pulled a stool up underneath him to sit by the register. There were a few other customers wandering around the store and one of his co-workers was over by the refrigerated section stocking cases of beer and wine coolers. Arnold looked at the clock on the wall to his right. It was reflective with a transparent brand logo over it.

8 pm. Two more hours to go.

Arnold kind of hated it here. Ernie had talked to a friend of his and got Arnold the job when Arnold's dozens of part-time job applications had gone unanswered. The economy was sucking and pimply-faced teenagers seemed to have better luck at getting the minimum wage jobs. The best Arnold could hope for _was_ minimum wage but when Ernie told him about this place and their willingness to pay him slightly more, he was in no position to turn it down.

Things had been rough at the boarding house. Grandma's dementia had taken a downward turn over the past few years and as Grandpa aged, he had increasing trouble keeping up with the demands of running the place. The electric bill was through the roof, considering the old wiring, and many of the tenants had moved out, looking for apartments and condos in better condition. To say the boarding house had become dilapidated was an understatement. Grandpa used to do most of the renovations and repairs on his own but keeping up with Grandma and a dwindling source of income from renters made any significant projects on the building difficult.

Arnold had intended to go to college at an upstate university the fall after he graduated from high school but it was over that summer that Grandma's condition started its decline. They'd taken her to a neurologist who'd confirmed her Alzheimer's and recommended a course of medication to help manage the symptoms but they couldn't stop the progression and they only helped a little bit. One night Grandma had disappeared only to reappear back at the boarding house escorted by a police officer. Apparently a group of twenty-somethings had spotted her wandering around downtown while they were out bar-hopping. She'd been carrying around an alley cat in her arms with a dazed look on her face, obviously confused and unaware of her surroundings. After that it became apparent that things were never going to be "normal" again. Whatever Arnold's sense of "normal" was, anyway.

Lost in his thoughts, Arnold was startled back into reality when someone placed a large bottle of red wine on the counter next to him.

"This, and one of the scratch-offs," A slender woman with thick blonde hair said as she dug through the purple purse on her shoulder for her wallet. She had her hair pulled back in a messy bun and wore a light pink tee that gently alluded to her form and a pair of dark grey sweatpants with some university's name running down the side of one leg. She looked up and her thick, dark eyebrows shot up, her eyes widened. "Holy shit, _Arnold?_" She jumped, almost dropping her wallet on the floor.

"Helga, hey!" Arnold smiled, recognizing her. _Wow, she looks… different. _"How are you?" He asked enthusiastically.

"I'm-I'm good," Helga shook her head in wonder, still reeling over seeing Arnold here. It'd been so long… "Um… what about you?"

Arnold shrugged. "I'm doing alright,"

Helga raised an eyebrow and squinted at him. "Very convincing…"

"What?" Arnold asked defensively.

"Nothing," Helga put her hands up, then looked over at the plastic case housing all of the scratch-off cards. "You gonna get me my scratch-off or what?"

Arnold frowned a little and walked over to the case to pick out the card. "Which one do you want?" She still had that same blustery way about her but despite that, he couldn't help but feel drawn to her. God, he hadn't seen her in _years _and… there was something about her. There was always something about her.

"I don't care, just pick one!" Helga said in a more light-hearted tone and Arnold eased.

They'd always had a complicated relationship growing up. She'd had a major crush on him when they were kids but after she finally told him about it when they were 10, she never spoke of it again. They went through middle and high school together, still generally part of the same group of friends but it was different. Eventually she stopped picking on him the way she had in elementary school and he began to see less and less of her. Until the end of senior year, that is. Still, she managed to linger in his thoughts throughout the years since.

"So…" Helga said awkwardly. "I didn't expect to see you working in here,"

"Me either," Arnold shrugged and gave a half-hearted laugh. "What have you been up to?"

"I'm on break until the fall. I just graduated from HSU," Helga said, eyeing the scratch-off Arnold had handed to her.

"That's amazing! Congratulations, Helga," Arnold exclaimed. "What did you study?"

"Psychology," Helga replied. "Got a penny?"

Arnold handed her a penny from a little container by the register marked 'TAKE A PENNY, LEAVE A PENNY'. "So… are you back for good or-"

"I'm back in Hillwood for Phoebe and Geraldo's wedding next month," Helga said, now paying more attention to Arnold than to the scratch-off in front of her. She had known she was going to end up seeing him eventually while she was in town but she definitely didn't expect it to be tonight. Or in the liquor store, no less. "But I'm staying for the summer until I go back to school in the fall,"

"Oh, right," _Of course she would be here for that. She's the maid of honor. _"That makes sense. Are you back at your parents' house?" Arnold asked as he leaned against the counter, caught up in the enigmatic presence that was Helga.

"Oh god, no," Helga practically spat.

"Oh," Arnold paused as he was struck with an idea. "Umm… well, there are extra rooms at the boarding house right now, if you need a place,"

Helga eyed him carefully and smirked. "I'll think about it… but that might not be so bad… I can't afford much though,"

Arnold shook his head. "Don't worry about that. I'm happy to help,"

"You haven't changed at all, have you?" Helga said with a laugh.

Arnold smiled and shrugged, neither confirming nor denying her assessment. After a short pause, he gave a small smile. "It's good to see you again, Helga,"

This seemingly caught Helga off-guard. "Oh, uh… it's… _good _to see you, too… Arnold,"

There was an awkward pause and a curious tension in the air. Rather than succumb to it, Helga busied herself rubbing away at her scratch-off with the penny in her hand.

"Hell yes! You owe me fifty bucks," Helga triumphantly handed the scratch-off back to Arnold.

"No way, really?" Arnold asked excitedly. Sure enough, Helga had won an instant-win prize of $50. "Looks like it's your lucky night," He said as he went into the register to pull out her cash.

"They come along once in a while," Helga said cryptically.

As Arnold counted out her bills, he couldn't help himself from sneaking glances at his former classmate. She'd really matured over the years. Man, how long had it been? He couldn't remember seeing her at all since their high school graduation. She seemed so at ease and comfortable with herself. She was still fiery but she wasn't _mean_ and of course he couldn't help but take notice of her physically. _It wouldn't be the first time._ He felt like he might be blushing but he tried to play it off by wiping the back of his hand against his forehead. _Maybe she'll just think I'm hot cuz it's summer… that makes sense right? Gah, but the air vent is right above us… well, it's not blowing out much cold air so maybe she'll-_

"Thanks," Helga said, taking her winnings from Arnold's hand and snapping him out of his thoughts.

An older woman had come up behind Helga carrying two six-packs of wine coolers. Her brow was furrowed and she was eyeing Helga and Arnold with disdain.

Arnold looked past Helga and at the woman, causing Helga to take notice and step aside. "Sorry," She muttered under her breath.

As Arnold began to ring up the woman's purchases, Helga called over her shoulder on her way out. "See ya around, Football-head,"

Arnold waved at her but his attention was quickly pulled away by his customer's irritable huffing.

. . . . . . . .

"Why didn't you tell me Arnold was working at the liquor store?!" Helga asked when Phoebe opened the door to her parents' house. The two of them were staying there for the next couple weeks until Phoebe moved into her new apartment with Gerald. Helga still hadn't decided exactly what she was going to do then but she couldn't help but feel intrigued by Arnold's offer to stay at the boarding house. The thought of living under the same roof as him brought an involuntary heat to her cheeks.

"Oh yes, I forgot he started working there," Phoebe said thoughtfully as she led Helga into the kitchen. "Did something happen?"

"Well… no, not really," Helga relaxed against the counter and set the wine bottle up on top. Phoebe pulled two wine glasses out of the cabinet and set them in front of Helga. "But you know I don't like surprises,"

"Sorry, Helga," Phoebe shrugged and smiled. "You would be seeing him soon anyway, at the wedding, you know,"

Helga poured Phoebe's glass and handed it to her before pouring her own. "Yeah, obviously," She swirled the wine in her glass before taking a sip and adding sarcastically, "Big surprise that Arnold would be the best man, right?"

Phoebe only let out a small giggle. "Come on into the living room. The food's already here and I have the seating chart mapped out on the coffee table - I still need to make some adjustments, I think…"

Helga followed her best friend into the other room and sat down next to her on the couch where a few take-out cartons of Chinese food sat waiting on the table in front of them. She'd always known Phoebe and Gerald would end up together and though she usually expressed her emotions through a strict filter, she was deeply happy that her best friend was marrying the guy she'd always loved. Though, it did remind her of her own situation and brought a bittersweet longing that she always quickly suppressed. She'd been in a couple relationships since Arnold, both of which had been relatively short-lived, and she felt pathetic that in the quiet of the night, as she lay in that tender moment between wakefulness and sleep, he crept into her thoughts time and time again.

Phoebe studied the seating chart in front of her as she opened one of the cartons of food. "Do you think Aunt Linda and Caroline would get along?" Caroline was Phoebe's supervisor at the lab she was interning at for the past year. She was also a close family friend of her father's.

"Is Aunt Linda the one with all the cats?" Helga asked, dishing lo mein onto a styrofoam plate.

"No," Phoebe shook her head. "That's Aunt Carol,"

"Good grief, why does your mom have so many siblings?" Helga set the carton back down on the table and slouched back into the couch, twirling lo mein noodles with her fork.

Phoebe shrugged, squinting in deep thought as she pondered the chart and the people it represented. Helga ate, adding her own input when asked, as Phoebe rearranged names on the big cardboard chart.

"So," Phoebe sat back on the couch, temporarily satisfied with the configuration she'd just designed. "How do you feel about… well, you know, seeing Arnold?"

Helga scoffed but Phoebe knew better. "I knew I was going to see him _eventually_. It just caught me off-guard seeing him so soon," She took a swig from her glass.

"Mmhmm," Phoebe nodded, eyeing Helga with a smirk.

"Oh," Helga turned to her. "Is there something you want to _say_?" She challenged.

Phoebe giggled. "No…" She paused. "But I'm definitely looking forward to reception when the bridesmaids and groomsmen dance together," Her lips turned up at the corners with a mischievous smile.

"If you play a tango, so help me-" Helga warned.

Phoebe guffawed. "Oh gosh, I didn't even think about _that!_"

"Oh criminy," Helga slapped a hand to her forehead.

. . . . . . . .

_**Flashback**_

"_Arnold!" Lila squealed in a hushed tone. "You aren't supposed to be back here!" She scolded him with a smile on her face as she hurried over to the door he was peeking his head through. The second act would be starting soon._

"_I know, I know," Arnold smiled. "I just wanted to say you're doing great!" He looked past his girlfriend at the rest of the cast and crew members - his classmates - as they touched up their stage make-up and changed wardrobes, dug through boxes and closets and checked one another's appearance. "You're _all _doing great!"_

"_Thanks Arnold," Came a chorus of people, mostly girls._

"_Man, get your ass outta here before you get busted," Gerald, dressed in 19th century policeman attire, laughed at his best friend._

_Helga was silent, sitting at one of the desks with a mirror on top of it. She clenched her fists to hold herself together. It'd only been a few months that Arnold and Lila had been dating yet every time she saw them together, she felt a burning in the pit of her stomach. She had to hold back a wave of nausea that passed over her the first time she saw them kiss each other good-bye in the hallway. Her days of scheming were over. She didn't have any elaborate plans for keeping them away from one another. She'd already failed. She failed the day she took back her confession up on that stormy rooftop. For so long Lila hadn't returned Arnold's affections. For so long, Arnold had given up on a relationship with her. Yet now here they were. She wasn't quite sure how they got together but she didn't want to think about it for very long anyway._

_Helga eyed her reflection. Her hair was long with a bit of a wave and it was slightly damp from a spray bottle Sheena had filled up for her during the intermission. Her make-up was dramatic - stage make-up usually was - and her hair was tousled and parted haphazardly, splaying wildly over her shoulders._

_Every January the theatre department organized a school musical and this year Mrs. Dahlquist, the department chair and director, had decided to put on a student production of Les Miserables. Helga had gotten interested in theatre early on after her successful portrayal of Juliet in the fourth grade production of Romeo and Juliet. She'd played an evil stepsister in Cinderella two years ago and figured it would be fun to do one more show before she finished high school in the spring. She ended up with the role of Eponine, who, ironically, was in love with a man who loved someone else. And as luck would have it, Lila had also auditioned this year and received the role of adult Cosette. She refused, however, to let Lila take away anything else that she valued (whether Lila was aware of it or not). Her only consolation had been the fact that Arnold never auditioned. If he had gotten the role of Marius, the object of Eponine's affections, and had to watch Arnold and Lila swoon over one another as Marius and Cosette on stage, she probably would have lost it. _

_The second act began without a hitch and the time finally came for Helga to sing her solo - a song that she unwillingly personally connected with and had been dreading since she first got her script._

_On stage, the spotlights felt hot on her skin and she knew that every eye in the audience was on her. Most of the faces in the crowd were a blur but through bleary eyes, she saw the outline of a football-shaped head and as her eyes struggled to focus, she could barely make out Arnold's smiling face. She swallowed hard and waited for her cue, a gentle musical interlude as her guide._

"_On my own," Helga began to sing, her voice soft and vulnerable as she gazed indiscriminately into the crowd before looking away. "Pretending he's beside me,"_

_She'd practiced this song over and over in the bathroom mirror at home but never could manage to finish it. It hit too close to home. Damn this song._

"_All alone, I walk with him 'til morning. Without him, I feel his arms around me and when I lose my way, I close my eyes… and he has found me,"_

_Arnold was still smiling. Damn his smile._

"_In the rain, the pavement shines like silver," Helga took a few steps across the stage, her brow furrowed and her eyes contemplative. "All the lights are misty in the river… In the darkness, the trees are full of starlight and all I see is him and me for ever and forever…"_

_Visions of Arnold - always there for her, always trying to help her - flashed across her mind. Damn his kindness._

"_And, I know… it's only in my mind…" Helga's hands trembled with dread. "That I'm talking to myself… and not to him…" '_No, you can't cry yet. Shit!' _she scolded herself as she felt something welling up in her chest. "And although, I know that he is blind… still I say… there's a way for us…" Her voice broke._

_He was only there to support Lila. Why would he come to see her play? He didn't come to Cinderella… hell, she hadn't even talked to him but maybe a few times this whole _year!

"_I love him," Helga's voice was shaking but she stayed on key for the most part. "But when the night is over… he is gone. The river's just a river… Without him, the world around me changes," Her voice elevated and she fought to maintain control. "The trees are bare and everywhere the streets are full of strangers,"_

_Oh god, here came the ending. Damn this song._

"_I love him" Helga felt tears, scalding hot and bubbling at the corners of the eyes. "But every day I'm learning," Her voice shook as she rose in pitch. "All my life, I've only been pretending," She felt her voice break again but she recovered. "Without me, his world will go on turning," Helga turned her gaze to Arnold, but he wasn't smiling anymore. "A world that's full of happiness, that I have never known!" She managed to hold her vibrato, the last note coming out forcefully but thankfully, with some measure of control._

I just need to finish this freaking song. _Helga felt exposed and couldn't believe she was actually doing this. The fear of screwing up publicly being the only thing giving her the will to go on. No one knew how hard this was for her. Damn them all._

"_I love him" Helga's voice broke again, but this time it was okay. She blinked and tears streamed down her face._

_"I love him…" Her voice was punctuated by periodic breathlessness and sniffling._

"_I love him," She sang more softly, allowing her eyes to find Arnold once more before looking down at the 'ground' in front of her. "But only on… my own…"_

_Before Helga had finished the note, the audience was clapping for her performance. She blinked away her tears and took a deep breath, willing herself to go on with the rest of the show. _

_. . . . . . . ._

"_That was so great!"_

"_Oh my gosh, yaaaaay!"_

"_Nailed it!"_

_Everyone was bustling about backstage after the show, changing out of their costumes in the closet and congratulating one another on their performances as they collected their belongings. Helga just wanted to go home._

_Arnold and Phoebe came in through the door he'd peeked through earlier. _

"_You were a wonderful Javert," Phoebe crooned as she felt into Gerald's embrace._

_Arnold was handing Lila a small bouquet of pink and yellow flowers. "You sang beautifully," Helga heard him say and without looking, she knew he was giving her that smile._

"_Thank you!" Lila beamed as she admired the flowers and hugged Arnold tightly. "Oh, these are just ever so lovely," _

_Helga had already changed back into her normal clothes, a pair of jeans with a hole in one knee and a dark purple sweater. She threw her hair up into a ponytail and was pulling on her coat when Phoebe approached her._

"_Oh Helga," She immediately embraced Helga in a hug but quickly let go, knowing Helga wasn't really one for public displays of affection. "You were amazing! That song! And then Eponine's death… you would have made Victor Hugo proud," _

"_Who?"_

"_He wrote the novel this play was based on…"_

"_Oh," Helga laughed. "Right… Thanks Pheebs," She offered a half-smile._

"_So…" Phoebe looked back at Gerald who was talking to Arnold, Lila, and a few other classmates. "We're all going to go to Tony's for pizza to celebrate how well everyone performed… will you come?"_

_Helga pursed her lips and finished sliding her coat on. "Nah… I've gotta head home…"_

"_Are you sure?" Phoebe asked, her eyes pleading._

_Helga looked from her to Arnold, and back again, then sighed. "Yeah, I'm sure,"_

_Phoebe got the hint. She knew the conflicted and tormented feelings that Helga was struggling with, especially now knowing that Arnold was in a relationship. "Okay, I understand. Call me tonight?"_

"_Sure," Helga said quietly. "See ya,"_

_Outside, the air was cold. Hillwood was expecting a snow storm in the next few days. Helga huffed and puffed, trying to stay warm as she walked briskly down the sidewalk toward home. _

_She felt open and anxious, like she'd genuinely confessed her broken heart in front of a hundred people. She reminded herself that no one knew it was real. The pain was real. The tears were real. Damn those tears._

_How pathetic could she get? Pining over a guy for so many years and for what? She felt foolish but she couldn't get him out of her head. So, as she'd done for all these years, she bottled those feelings. Hoping that by concealing the depths of her emotions, she wouldn't be able to feel the pain and longing they brought when she realized they were in vain._

_As she approached her brownstone, she noted Big Bob's car parked outside. Of course her parents hadn't come. They never came. Damn her parents._

_She climbed up the steps leading to her house and turned to lean against the front door. Somewhere a few blocks away, her friends were eating pizza and talking, laughing… enjoying one another's company and celebrating a successful show. Somewhere a few blocks away, Lila was leaning her head against Arnold's shoulder. He probably paid for her food. Maybe he was holding her hand or kissing the top of her ginger-haired head._

_Her street was quiet aside from the whistle of a blustery winter wind. Helga felt heat in her chest and tears threatening behind her eyes once again. A melody haunted her.  
_  
"_I love him," Her voice was barely a whisper. "But only on my own…"_

**[A/N: Well, there you have it! Chapter 1 and it's a long one! Yay! XD As always, I have a lot more drama and anguish to put these characters through lol. I hope you enjoyed the first chapter :) Toodles!**

**(BTW: The song at the end was 'On My Own' from _Les Miserables._]**


	2. Chapter 2

**[A/N: Hello all! First and foremost, I'd like to apologize if there are any technical errors in this! I currently don't have reliable access to the internet so when I finished this chapter and got a chance to get on the internet, I took it! Fear not - if there are any mistakes, I'll correct them as soon as I get the next chance to do so. Things are crazy right now - starting school in less than two weeks and some crazy driver tried to kill me on the highway today - Ugh! But regardless, I'm excited about this story and have a lot of ideas that hopefully you all will enjoy! **

**Anywho, I don't own Hey Arnold, blah blah blah... you know the drill ;)]**

**Saturday, June 8th**

"My tits are never gonna hold this thing up," Helga grumbled as she fought to keep the teal strapless dress she was wearing from ending up on the floor of the bridal shop.

"Maybe you should try a smaller size?" a female attendant assisting Phoebe and her bridesmaids suggested, eyeing the garment. Helga huffed and shut herself back inside one of the dressing stalls.

Phoebe had already come to the shop before with her mother and knew the dress she wanted. All that was left for her to do was to have it sized appropriately and she was excited for her friends to see the dress she'd picked out. In the meantime, she _still_ needed to make a final decision about _their _dresses. She was down to two options now - the strapless, or the halter style. Seeing the way Helga had struggled and fussed over the strapless dress made her hope that the halter dress was more favorable.

It was a relatively small shop and the dressing area they were in had six stalls, three on each side and a mirror that stretched across the length of the wall adjacent to them. Phoebe didn't have a large wedding party; Helga was the maid of honor, and there were three other bridesmaids - Kristina (her cousin), Anjali (her college roommate) and Timberly (Gerald's sister). Phoebe had plenty of friends but when it came down to how many people she was truly _close _with, the list was limited. Being relatively shy and a bit of a bookworm her whole life, it made sense.

The other girls were still in the stalls and getting their dresses situated when Helga emerged once again only this time in the halter-style.

"That looks so great on you, Helga," Phoebe beamed as Helga smirked and turned around showily.

"Yeah, I'm a regular beauty queen," She laughed and studied herself in the mirror. The dress was made with chiffon and a beautiful shade of teal that had a small decorative knot in the center of the chest. It came down about knee length with gentle ruffles at the hem and the top hooked around the neck. This particular style flattered Helga's form much better than the strapless dress had.

"I really like this one," Phoebe said with her hand to her chin, considering Helga's appearance.

"As long as I'm not gonna be flashing people without warning at your wedding, we're good," Helga joked sarcastically.

. . . . . . . .

**Saturday, June 15th**

_Hey Arnold! Hey Arnold! Hey Arnold! Hey Arnold!_

It was amazing that Arnold's childhood clock still worked. He sat up groggily, wiping the sleep from his eyes and stretching his arms as he yawned. He pushed the blanket off, kicking his legs free before throwing them over the side of his bed. He still had his childhood bedroom but he'd made a few changes, the most obvious being the solid blue paint on the walls as opposed to the rocket ships and space theme of his youth. His desk now carried an old edition laptop rather than a desktop and his stereo system had evolved with the times as well.

Arnold stood up, clad only in a pair of red plaid pajama pants, and snatched a random T-shirt from a storage tower inside his closet. Running a hand through his blonde bedhead and with another yawn escaping, he headed downstairs.

"Morning Shortman," His grandpa greeted him kindly from the bathroom doorway as Arnold reached the base of the pull-down staircase that led to his room. The irony was that with time, Arnold had surpassed his grandfather in height - especially since the elderly man had shrunk a few inches with age.

"Hey Grandpa," Arnold smiled, still a bit sleepy. "How's Grandma?"

"She's alright, I suppose," Grandpa sighed. "You know mornings are always better with her and then as the day goes on…" The old man's voice trailed off wearily.

Arnold nodded and followed his grandpa down to the kitchen where his grandma was trying to make herself breakfast. She'd pulled out a large mixing bowl and was struggling to find the cereal.

"Now where in the hell…" she murmured under her breath as she went looking through each drawer and cabinet in her search. Her movements were slow and her hands shook slightly - her sense of balance wasn't what it used to be.

"Here, let me help you Grandma," Arnold offered, taking the bowl from her hands and setting it down on the counter before escorting her over to the kitchen table. He spotted her as she settled into a chair and Grandpa grabbed a newspaper from the day before that had been sitting on the other end of the table and sat it in front of her.

"Thank you so much," Grandma said sweetly as Arnold brought a box of cereal and an appropriately sized bowl over to the table. "You're such a good boy,"

"Thanks Grandma,"

She looked down at the newspaper in front of her. "Do you want to read this paper?" She asked him politely.

"No thanks," Arnold said absent-mindedly as he went back to the counter to get a spoon from one of the drawers and milk from the fridge. "Grandpa, do you want anything?"

"Oh no, Arnold," Grandpa shook his head. "I've already eaten this morning,"

Arnold nodded and brought the remaining items over to his grandmother who had started fumbling with the flap on the cereal box. "Here, I've got it," He took the box and opened it for her, pouring cereal into the bowl. He added the milk and handed her the spoon.

"Why, thank you, young man," Grandma smiled at him in adoration, then her face went blank as she turned her gaze back down to the table. There was a momentary pause before she looked back at him, "Do you want to read this paper here?" She started reaching for it.

"No Grandma, not right now. You should eat," He gestured toward the bowl in front of her.

"Are you sure?"

"Yup!" He said with a tired, forced sense of cheeriness.

For a moment they just looked at one another and he could tell his grandma was trying to figure something out. "I'm so glad you're here," She smiled and slowly dipped her spoon into the bowl.

Arnold was about to grab himself a bowl from one of the cabinets when he heard her spit.

"Dammit, this cereal is soggy!" She said, confused and disgusted. "Why would you give me this?"

"Pookie, that's the milk," Grandpa said patiently. "It's been sitting too long now,"

Grandma didn't respond to him - instead she just dipped her spoon into the bowl and pushed cereal pieces around.

"I'll make you a new one," Arnold gently took the bowl and spoon, dumping the contents down the kitchen sink and fixed her another one.

The morning continued on like this for another twenty minutes before Arnold was finally able to sit down and quickly eat his own breakfast and get ready to head out. Getting Grandma to eat had become such a chore - she got distracted so easily, forgetting what she was doing or insisting she wasn't hungry - and Grandpa was a bit slower getting around than he used to be due to arthritis in his knees and dwindling mobility of his plastic hip.

"I'm gonna get ready and head over to Gerald's now, Grandpa," Arnold said, placing his bowl in the sink to wash later.

"Alrighty Arnold," Grandpa offered a tired smile to his beloved grandson. "When should we expect ya back home?"

"I'm not sure…" Arnold pondered. "Maybe sometime this evening. I'll let you know,"

"Have a good time," Grandpa called as Arnold hurried upstairs to get himself ready.

Grandma was staring into her bowl, the cereal once again soggy and the milk gradually getting warmer as it sat. "You know," She whispered to Grandpa, using her dripping spoon to the point in the direction in which Arnold had gone. "I have a grandson his age," She said proudly and Grandpa heaved a deep sigh.

Grandma had become a shadow of her former self, sometimes becoming irritable and frustrated when she didn't understand what was going on around her. Once in a while the grandmother Arnold had always known would re-emerge, if only for a few minutes, and in that brief time it was like nothing had changed. But with each day that passed, she seemed to lose more and more of herself until it was like a fragile shell sitting across from him, rather than the strong and eclectic woman that helped raise him. She'd always been eccentric and she had her quirks… but as time passed she seemed to lose more and more of her lucidity until they finally realized the grandmother and wife they'd loved all these years might never return.

It was just past 11:30 when Arnold was finally heading out the door, freshly showered and dressed in red and black gym shorts and a clean white T-shirt. He was helping Phoebe and Gerald move into their new apartment today and was already close to an hour late. The apartment was across town and Gerald had said before that Jamie-O was renting a moving truck to help them with transporting everything. The plan was for the guys to take care of Gerald's stuff first, then head over to Phoebe's parents' house to move her stuff.

Secretly, Arnold looked forward to seeing Helga again. He hadn't seen her since that night in the liquor store but he assumed she'd be helping her best friend move.

"Well, good morning, sunshine," Gerald said sarcastically when Arnold pulled up outside of Gerald's parents' house, parking his grandfather's old Packard in front of the large moving truck.

"Ha ha," Arnold deadpanned and then proceeded to get down to business. "What's the plan?"

"Pretty much everything is in the living room now," Gerald said, setting down a large box on the pavement, sweat beading at his forehead and sliding down the sides of his face. He was dressed in a loose grey tank top and black gym shorts with a white stripe down the sides. "Boxes are labeled and basically everything by the door goes. Phoebe's expecting us at 1:30 but I think we'll probably get over there before that," He lifted the box once again and carried it the rest of the way to the truck.

Between Arnold, Gerald, and the rest of the Johannsen family, the truck was loaded up and ready to go to Phoebe's by 12:45. Just over half of the truck was stacked high with Gerald's mattress and bedframe, a dozen or so boxes, and countless odds and ends - lamps, storage bins, a trash can, etc. Gerald's mom made sandwiches for everyone and they sat down to relax and eat before beginning stage two of the moving process.

The door to Phoebe's parents' house was propped wide open when the guys pulled up outside of the house. Jamie-O parked the truck and the three climbed out just as Phoebe and Helga were coming out.

"Hi Gerald," Phoebe said sweetly, perched on the last step of the stoop. Gerald approached and wrapped her in his arms, twirling her in a circle as he kissed her on the lips, before gently placing her on the sidewalk in front of him. "My, you're so sweaty," She stepped back and took in his appearance.

Gerald laughed, "Yup," He looked up to see Helga leaning against the door frame. "What's up, Pataki?"

Helga smirked and shook her head in response. "So, are we gonna move Phoebe's stuff or are you two gonna just salivate all over each other here on the sidewalk all day?"

"Oh Helga, you're too much," Phoebe said, blushing slightly.

As everyone filed up the steps and into Phoebe's house, Arnold found his opportunity to greet Helga personally.

"Hey," He smiled as he passed her in the doorway.

"How's it hangin', Football-head?" Helga said nonchalantly and brought up the rear as everyone headed up to Phoebe's room.

"Uhh," Arnold stammered. "Good… I guess?" Helga just shook her head and directed her attention to moving the boxes Phoebe had arranged in the center of her room the night before.

"Well, _good_, I guess," She said sarcastically as she carried a large box, smirking at him as she passed.

Her demeanor wasn't coming across as rude, though. If anything, she seemed playful, albeit distant. Arnold grabbed a box and followed her out of Phoebe's room and down to the truck.

"So, did you figure out where you're staying now that Phoebe's moving?" Arnold said, dropping his box on the edge of the inside of the truck where Phoebe was organizing the incoming items.

"Well," Helga started, stretching her back after having set her box down.

"_No, she hasn't!" _Phoebe called from inside the truck to which Helga shot her a fiery look. Phoebe, however, only giggled and busied herself with her work.

"Well," Arnold bit the inside of his lip to avoid giving away how amused he was at the two girls' little exchange. "My offer still stands… if you need a place,"

"I'm not in much of a position to be picky, now, am I?" Helga sighed, although Arnold suspected she wasn't as put off as she wanted him to think she was.

Arnold shrugged and followed Helga as they made their way back into the house to get more stuff. "How soon could I move in?" She asked him over her shoulder as they ascended the staircase.

"Whenever," Arnold said simply.

"Tomorrow?"

"If you want,"

Helga pursed her lips, thinking, as she surveyed Phoebe's room for her next transport. "How much is the rent?"

"How much do you want it to be?" Arnold stacked two boxes on top of one another, his subconscious apparently trying to show off.

Helga shot him a look, "Don't screw with me, Arnoldo,"

Arnold laughed, hearing her use one of his old nicknames. Some things never change. "I'm not,"

"Yeah, right," Helga unloaded her box into the truck and turned around, hand on her hip, as Arnold set his boxes down as well. "Gimme a number,"

"Helga, can't someone do something nice without—"

"Nope," Helga shook her head.

Arnold sighed. Man, she was stubborn. "Just give me whatever you want,"

_Give you whatever I want? _Helga thought, a faint blush rising to her cheeks that she fought to suppress.

Arnold raised an eyebrow, waiting half-patiently for her to either accept or outright reject his offer. "So?"

"Alright, alright, _fine_," Helga said dramatically. "I'll do it… does tomorrow work?"

"Uhh," Arnold paused to consider his work schedule. "… yes… I have to be at work by four, is that okay?"

"Whatever floats your boat," Helga flashed a smile and sauntered back into the house.

Helga had been sleeping on an air mattress in Phoebe's room since she got back to Hillwood. She hadn't had much luck finding another place to stay – there weren't many fairly priced places for someone who only needed housing for three months. She'd called home the first night back in town to let them know she was around but Olga had come back for the summer as well and when neither of her parents said anything about Helga coming home for the break, she figured it was just as well. Phoebe's parents had been very generous in offering to take her in but with Phoebe moving out, Helga suspected it would be way too weird living with her parents without Phoebe there, too. Of course, she didn't want Arnold to know that he was her more preferred, and more suitable option…

Once all of Phoebe's stuff was loaded up, everyone piled into either the truck or Phoebe's car and headed over to the new apartment. It wasn't anything fancy – a typical two bedroom apartment for a couple just starting out. The building was old, with a historic feel (though not a historic district _pricetag_) and the floors were wooden, freshly buffed. The doorways between the kitchen, dining room, and living room were curved, as were some of the windows in those main areas. The doors, cabinets, etc. were all old-fashioned but complemented by more modern things like new kitchen appliances, for example. Phoebe had said before it was one of the renovated apartments.

It was going on 9 pm when the last piece of furniture had been unloaded into the apartment. Everyone was sitting around the living room – on boxes, on the floor, on a small futon – cooling down after working up a heavy sweat.

Jamie-O was adjusting their air conditioning unit in the window and everyone breathed a sigh of relief when the cool air began to creep through the room, soothing their tired brows.

"Thank you so much for helping," Phoebe said, directing the comment around the room. "Helga, perhaps I should go back home with you and help you to prepare for moving yourself tomorrow?"

Helga shrugged and smiled, "Sure, thanks, Pheebs,"

"Hey Gerald, do you know what time it is?" Arnold patted his pockets, remembering he'd left his phone in the Packard back at the Johannsen's.

"Umm…" Gerald looked around, trying to locate his own phone.

Phoebe pointed to the windowsill on the opposite side of the room. "It's right there," She said sweetly and Gerald shot her a smile.

"It is…" He pushed a button, lighting up the screen. "8:53,"

"Oh man," Arnold groaned. "Can I use your phone really quick? I've gotta call my grandpa,"

"Sure, Arnold," Gerald handed him his phone and watched as his best friend stepped into the kitchen.

Everyone was making small talk about the house and plans for settling in when Arnold's voice echoed from the other room.

_"Ah man," _He said, exasperated. "_Is she really? O-ok, Grandpa… I'll be home soon, I promise. Just… I know… It'll be okay… Okay, bye,"_

"Everything alright, man?" Gerald said, receiving his phone when Arnold came back into the room.

"Yeah," Arnold ran a hand through his thick, sweaty and tangled hair. "I've gotta get home," He sighed.

"Alright, let's go," Gerald stood up and led everyone out of the apartment.

Outside, Phoebe and Helga went to Phoebe's car and the boys headed to the truck.

"Hey Helga!" Arnold called, his hand on the truck door handle. "I'll meet you at Phoebe's at 11 tomorrow? Is that alright?"

"Aye-aye!" Helga saluted. _What the hell was that? Who am I, now? Gilligan? Criminy…_

Arnold smiled and waved before climbing into the passenger seat and yanking the door closed.

. . . . . . . .

**_Flashback_**

_"One pretzel dog and a pink lemonade," Helga ordered, leaning against the counter at one of the food stations in the mall. Phoebe had requested Helga's company as she searched for a prom dress and Helga had begrudgingly agreed to come along. Why, she couldn't remember._

_Phoebe was taking a break, still unable to decide after thirty minutes of scouring every rack in one clothing store, and Helga believed she deserved a snack after following her around every nook and cranny of that place._

_Helga had just turned around, food and drink in hand, when she felt her body collide with someone else. The plastic lid on her pink lemonade bent from the pressure and doused the front of her shirt in the cold, sugary liquid._

_"Shit!" Helga exclaimed._

_"Oh man, I'm sorry!" A familiar voice said. _

_Helga groaned, turning back to the counter to put her stuff down and do something to clean herself up._

_It was Arnold, gathering wads of napkins from the dispenser. "I'm so sorry, Helga. I must not have been paying attention…" _

_Helga looked him up and down. Brown, recycleable napkins in hand, his usual tousled blonde hair sticking out in every direction, a green plaid flannel shirt over a red-orange T-shirt and faded blue jeans with beat-up black Chucks. She scowled. "You must not have…"_

_Arnold sighed, rubbing the back of his neck once she'd taken the napkins from him. "Is there… anything I can do?" He watched as she dabbed and wiped at the huge wet spot on the front of her shirt._

_"You can stop staring at my chest. They don't talk, ya know," Helga shot back._

_Arnold turned beat-red. "I wasn't – I mean, I didn't…" He groaned inwardly. "Sorry…"_

_"Yeah, well," Helga sighed, her anger seeming to fade. "C'est la vie…"_

_After an awkward pause in conversation, Arnold spoke, "So, what are you doing here at the mall?" _

_"I _was_ getting lunch…" Helga muttered as she tossed the used napkins in a trashcan and Arnold winced. "… Phoebe's getting her prom dress and she felt _compelled _to drag me along…"_

_"Oh, that's nice," Arnold nodded, then added, "Wait, aren't you gonna get a dress?"_

_"Dresses are for girls who are actually _going_ to prom, Football-head," Helga said patronizingly._

_"You're not?" He replied, somewhat surprised._

_"Why should I?" Helga scoffed, crossing her arms and forgetting completely that her pretzel dog and near-empty drink were still sitting on the countertop._

_"It's gonna be fun," Arnold shrugged. "You only get one prom,"_

_"Yeah, well, I think I'll survive," Helga rolled her eyes._

_"Well, yeah," Arnold said. "But it'd be nice if you were there,"_

_"Ha. Right," Helga chortled. "Trust me, I think it'll be just as nice without me,"_

_"If you say so…" Arnold trailed off, beginning to give up on convincing her._

_"Besides," Helga added. "Why should you care? I'm sure you'll be plenty busy with Ms. _Lila_…" _Shut up, Helga. You're gonna end up with your foot in your mouth! _Helga mentally chastised herself. _Don't you know when to shut your –

_"Well, yeah," Arnold shifted uncomfortably and rubbed the back of his neck. Why did this feel so awkward now? "Okay Helga… well, if you do come, I'll save a dance for you,"_

_Helga just about choked on her own spit at that. "Alllllriiiiighty then," She managed to get out, sounding like a bad Jim Carrey impersonator. _

Why did I just tell her that? _Arnold thought incredulously. "Alright so… yeah… Um, sorry about your shirt," He quickly nodded at her and started backing away. "I-I'll see you later, okay, Helga?"_

_Helga just stared, wide-eyed. "Yeah. Later, sure," She watched him walk past, continuing in the direction he had been going before they ran into each other. _

_At this moment, Phoebe returned from the restrooms. "Oh dear, Helga, what happened to your shirt?"_

_"Nevermind that right now," Helga hushed her. "Prom's only two weeks away and I need to find a dress!"_

**[A/N: There ya go! Hopefully I can update again soon. Gahhh, interwebs, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME? XD Anywho, I hope you guys liked this chapter. Please review and tell me your thoughts, predictions, hopes, desires, dreams for the future, favorite color, yada yada and all that XD Toodles!]**


	3. Chapter 3

**[A/N: Hello all! Once again, I am posting this without reaaally being able to check over it BUT I JUST GET SO EXCITED WHEN I FINISH A CHAPTER I CAN'T EVEN HANDLE LIFE.**

**Okay, so, real talk - I should have internet at home by the middle of next week so any silly flubs will all be corrected by then and in future chapters. I JUST CAN'T STOP THE FLOW OF WORDS. THEY MUST BE RELEASED! **

**XD Anywho, I'll shut up now. I don't own Hey Arnold. Less talky, more story. Here ya go!]**

When Arnold got home, the boarding house was surprisingly quiet. Normally, _someone _would be up and about – making food in the kitchen, watching TV in the living room, _something_. He locked the front door behind him and headed upstairs to investigate.

Grandpa was just coming out of his bedroom when Arnold made it to the top of the stairs. He heaved a sigh.

"It's a bad night, Shortman," Grandpa shook his head. "She just threw a book at me,"

Arnold looked past his grandpa at the now closed bedroom door. "Why? What's going on?"

"She thinks I stole her purse," Grandpa grumbled. "That woman hasn't carried a purse in five dagblasted years!"

"Okay… let me see if there's anything I can do," Arnold patted his Grandpa on the shoulder and gently knocked on the bedroom door before cracking it open and tentatively peaking his head through. "Grandma?"

Once the door was open wide enough, he could see his grandmother on the opposite side of the room arranging and rearranging items on the bedside table.

"Hey," He said in a soothing voice. "How's it going?"

"I still can't find my purse," Grandma muttered with irritation. "That man…"

"Grandpa? He didn't take it, Grandma. Everything's okay," Arnold slowly approached her. "Have you had dinner?"

Grandma was quiet. "You know… I'm not quite sure…" She said in an almost child-like voice, genuinely wondering.

"We'll find your purse but for now, how about if we go downstairs and get something to eat?" Arnold coaxed, extending a hand to the woman who was now sitting on the edge of the bed, both hands tucked in her lap and her gaze locked on the table. A lamp on top cast a warm glow over that side of the room.

"No, I'm not hungry," Grandma said as she reached to straighten the analog clock on the table for the tenth time.

Arnold retracted his hand but didn't step away. "Are you sure? I think it'd be a good—"

"No!" Grandma suddenly yelled, her voice then breaking in distress. "God damn, why won't anybody leave me alone? I'm just trying to read my book," she picked up a novel that had been sitting on the second shelf of the table, previously untouched. "I don't understand why you all keep doing this to me!"

Arnold hung his head and stepped back. "Okay, Grandma. I'll come back later,"

Grandma never responded and Arnold slipped back out of the room, pulling the door closed behind him.

Grandpa was downstairs in the kitchen, drinking a glass of milk at the table when Arnold came downstairs and plopped down in a seat next to him.

"She's not hungry, and she wants to read," Arnold said in a monotone, crossing his arms on the table and letting his head fall down on them with a thud.

Grandpa sighed, then took a sip of his milk. "She hasn't been able to read for a year…"

"She doesn't know that," Arnold's voice was muffled and he shrugged his shoulders.

Grandpa looked over his grandson. "You look beat, Shortman,"

"Tell me about it…" Arnold groaned and sat back up, stretching his arms one at a time across his body and rolling his shoulders. "Oh, uh, I found a new boarder…" He said tentatively. He'd forgotten to mention earlier to Grandpa about his offer to Helga when he'd first suggested it in the liquor store.

"Oh yeah? That's good," Grandpa said half-heartedly. Time and stress had taken a lot of spunk out of the old man.

"Yeah…" Arnold trailed off, letting the quiet engulf them. It was a rare occasion that the boarding house didn't have someone yelling, stomping around, in and out of every room… He decided not to tell Grandpa about Helga's indefinite rent plan. Arnold handled all of the finances now so he figured it wasn't worth it to potentially worry his grandpa. Besides, he doubted Helga would have a significant impact on the electric and other bills all by herself.

"It's getting old, Arnold," Grandpa broke the silence, taking another sip of his milk before the glass was empty. "_I'm _getting old…"

Arnold took a deep breath in and exhaled through his nose. "We'll get through it," He shrugged. What could he say? That everything was gonna be okay? That they needed to stay hopeful? That they should look on the bright side? The worse that Grandma got, the less he used phrases like those. It wasn't gonna be okay. She was only going to get worse and worse. This disease was killing her. If, in some way, it hadn't already.

_I miss her... That gal's always been a fighter… I want my wife back… _These thoughts ran through Grandpa's mind but he didn't speak them aloud. He fought to keep a straight face. He still needed to be strong for Arnold.

. . . . . . . .

It was going on midnight when Helga and Phoebe were finally settling down to go to sleep. Helga didn't have much to prepare but Phoebe figured it would be nice to spend one last night together. She knew Helga would have felt uncomfortable coming back here alone.

Helga's belongings –two suitcases and three plastic storage bins – were sitting in wait by the bedroom door. Phoebe hadn't taken most of her bedroom furniture to her new apartment with Gerald so she was snuggling into the familiar covers of the bed she'd grown up with. The girls were getting ready to go to sleep and the only light in the room came from a small desk lamp on a table by Phoebe's bed. Helga was lying on her stomach on the air mattress next to Phoebe's bed, arms crossed over the pillow and her chin gently resting on them. Her long blonde hair was sprawled all around her, still damp from the shower.

"What's he been up to?" Helga asked as Phoebe turned off the lamp. She didn't need to clarify – being best friends for your whole lives, you develop a sort of intuition with one another.

"As far as I'm aware, he's been working and helping his grandparents at the boarding house," Phoebe's voice filled the quiet, darkened room. "I think he took a few college classes a couple years ago but I'm not entirely sure,"

"I thought he was going to some university up north?" Helga rolled over onto her back. As her eyes adjusted to the dark, the moonlight peeping in through the window gradually illuminated the forms of everything around her. Phoebe's covers rustled and she found her best friend turned over on her side, propping her head up with one hand and looking down at her. Her eyes looked so small without her glasses on.

"I think he was supposed to," Phoebe considered, thinking. "I do know that his grandparents are going through a particularly difficult time right now. I would imagine Arnold's change in plans had something to do with that,"

"Hmm," Helga took in a deep breath and sighed, relaxing her muscles as sleep crept upon her.

"Do you think anything is going to happen between you two? Living at the boarding house?" Phoebe questioned and Helga could hear the curiosity dripping from her voice.

"Who knows…" Helga yawned.

"Do you want it to?"

Helga shifted and the air mattress bucked at every move. "I dunno…" She paused. "Things were never really… talked about… the first time…" She yawned again.

"Do you still love him?" Phoebe asked after a lull in the conversation but the room was quiet. "Helga?" Phoebe gently tapped Helga on the arm.

"Mmm?" Helga stirred, but barely. "What?"

Phoebe sighed, knowing in her heart what the answer probably was anyway. "Nevermind. Goodnight, Helga,"

. . . . . . . .

Gazing up at the stars was like escaping into a different world for Arnold. Nothing seemed impossible and there were no limits. Even now, as an adult, he could get lost in his thoughts looking up through his skylight in the gentle stillness of the night. The sounds of the city seemed to blend in with his world so every cat's meow, every trash can toppling over, every truck honking as it flew by on the overpass seemed to blend and swirl together with the quiet in Arnold's room until he faintly even noticed them anymore.

He wanted to go to school. He'd gotten a scholarship in his senior year of high school to attend Milford State University. It was a relatively small public school about an hour north of Hillwood. He hadn't decided on a major, even though he'd listed History on his application. He was very interested in anthropology and archaeology… but at the same time found himself intrigued by the education program, getting a degree in biology and going to medical school, maybe studying architecture… He played around with various ideas – double majoring, certificate programs – This new world was so vast and he just wanted to explore and take in as much as he possibly could.

That never happened though. When Grandma's condition worsened, Arnold was needed at home. Grandpa was no spring chicken anymore and after a particularly bad fall on the ice a few winters ago, he felt the pangs of old age even more ferociously.

Still, Arnold could dream. He contemplated the idea of taking some community classes so he could accomplish _something _but as money became tighter, that option was also removed from the table.

He wanted to travel. After hearing nothing for the past 21 years, Arnold had come to terms with the fact that his parents were likely dead. His heart couldn't bear the idea that they'd gone this long without trying to contact him. In a way, he had hoped to find some connection to them in his choice of study at college. He wanted to study people, work with people, help people – follow in his parents' footsteps and, whether they were alive or watching him from some cloud in the sky, make them proud. Who knows? Maybe he was wrong and his parents could still be alive, unable to reach him for whatever reason, but alive nonetheless. And if by some sliver of a chance that was possible, he wanted to reunite with them one day and tell them how much they inspired him – how much their work, their lives, their dedication, inspired him. But Arnold was a dreamer. And over the years, he'd slowly begun to realize that not every dream comes true, no matter how hard you try to make it happen.

It was amazing how differently he'd imagined his life would be at 22. By this time, he would have loved to have a crappy first-time apartment somewhere in the city with a friend, newly graduated and ready to face the world with a myriad of tools at his disposal. He felt trapped, outgrowing yet confined by his childhood bedroom, and longed to experience something. Make a difference in the world.

But, every time these thoughts crept across the horizon of his mind, a surge of guilt washed over him and he reminded himself that his grandparents needed him here. What would they do without him? What would happen to the boarding house? Everything seemed to be falling apart – it was like Arnold was balancing a bunch of spinning plates on sticks and he couldn't take his eyes off of them for a minute, lest one or all of them fall to the ground and shatter. It was all Arnold could do to keep as many of those plates spinning for his grandparents. They needed him and he'd never turn his back on them.

And yet, seeing Helga again brought back so many new and familiar feelings that Arnold found himself reeling, his head spinning as he tried to keep up with them. Hearing about her progress with school – he'd never doubted she'd be successful, but it reminded him of what he was missing. And even beside that, there was the complicated matter of his feelings toward _her _specifically. They hadn't seen each other since graduation but she'd still pop into his mind from time to time throughout the years. Seeing her in person brought so many feelings to the surface, bubbling up and surprising him. Things he'd thought were gone but they'd only been lying dormant somewhere in his subconscious.

He'd dated a couple girls since high school but neither relationship had gotten too serious. It always ended up that he didn't have the time, he couldn't commit to any one thing too much… he was tethered to the boarding house. Honestly, a part of him, in retrospect, was thankful for that fact now that Helga was back. Even if it was just temporary. She'd appeared in his life again in what felt like a whirlwind and he was so caught up in it he was scarcely thinking about the fact she was leaving again in a few months.

Things had been left on a pretty awkward note in the final days of high school. Maybe he should have pursued her, called her, sent her an email… but he just second-guessed himself and convinced himself he shouldn't for one reason or another. He wasn't sure what he wanted and was waiting for some sort of _sign _that would guide him in his actions. All he knew for sure was that he wanted Helga around. He was intrigued by her, mesmerized by her, fascinated and entranced even… and he could never deny his physical attraction. After everything that happened before, there was no denying _that_.

Arnold's eyelids were getting heavier with each passing moment and he yawned, rolling over and pulling the covers up over his shoulders. On one of the shelves by his bed, a framed picture of his parents rested. He sighed, his gaze lingering on that image as he gently fell into a deep slumber.

. . . . . . . .

**Sunday, June 16**

Helga felt a flutter of excitement burst in her chest when she saw the old green Packard pull up outside of Phoebe's house. She left her place by the windowsill and hurried downstairs.

Phoebe had already been downstairs and opened the door just as Arnold was approaching the stoop. "Good morning, Arnold!" She chimed.

"Hey Phoebe," Arnold offered her a tired smile. "How are you?"

"Oh, I'm fine," She said, stepping aside to let him through the door.

"Helga! Arnold's—" Phoebe started to call her only to realize Helga had just appeared halfway down the staircase. "Oh, there you are!"

"Hey Helga," Arnold smiled and waved awkwardly. "You ready?"

"Oh, I dunno… I still have soo much to pack," Helga pretended to be overwhelmed and haggard from packing. "I sure could use your help,"

Arnold groaned. "Are you serious?" He sighed. "Alright…"

"Yeaah," Helga rubbed her forearm and Arnold followed her up the staircase as she hid her snickers.

Once they got to Phoebe's room and Arnold saw the bags and storage bins by the door, ready to go, he turned to her and deadpanned. "Really?"

Helga snickered aloud now and grabbed a suitcase. "Criminy, Football-head, can't a girl have some fun? Sheesh,"

Arnold smirked slightly, grabbing the other suitcase and following her back down to the Packard outside.

Once everything was loaded into the car, Helga and Phoebe said their good-byes outside the house and Arnold and Helga headed off in the direction of the boarding house.

It was awkwardly quiet for most of the ride, neither one quite sure what to say to the other. They hadn't actually been _alone _like this for quite some time – there was always someone else around.

"So, your room already has a bed," Arnold broke the silence as he pulled up to a stoplight. "And a dresser, desk, and closet… Unfortunately, that's about as 'furnished' as it gets…"

"Works for me," Helga said, twiddling her thumbs in her lap and feeling uncomfortably warm all of a sudden. The tension in the air was almost suffocating. "So you said you work at four?" She looked at the clock on the dashboard. It was only 1 pm now.

"Yup," Arnold sighed.

Helga nodded and looked out the window. What the hell was she supposed to say? Sure, she was full of clever, witty, and sarcastic remarks when other people were around and they were in public but alone? Being alone with Arnold just reminded her of the last time they were _alone_ and just the thought of it brought heat to her cheeks. And everywhere else.

After an agonizingly long five minute drive, they pulled up at the boarding house. Helga hopped out of the car and retrieved one of her bags from the backseat. Arnold also grabbed a bag and led her up the stoop to the front door.

He grabbed his keys from his pocket and inserted the correct one into the lock. "You might wanna take a step to the side," Arnold advised before he opened the door.

Helga wordlessly did as she was told and when Arnold opened the door, a stampede of cats and dogs bolted outside, down the stoop and down the sidewalk until they were out of sight.

It felt strange being in Arnold's house after so many years. For the most part it hadn't changed but it was obvious that renovations and upkeep were long overdue at this point. Helga followed Arnold upstairs to her new room and watched as he unlocked the door with one of the many keys on his keychain.

The room itself was very plain. Unpolished hardwood flooring, peeling wallpaper, a bed with no bedding, and plain wooden furniture. Helga rolled her suitcase over next to the bed.

"I have extra sheets and blankets if you need them," Arnold stated as he removed a key from his chain and handed it to her. "This one's yours…" He looked around, trying to think of whatever other information she may need. "Umm… the bathroom is right out here, second door to the left, you're welcome to eat meals with us or on your own… my room is right up there—" He pointed in the direction of the attic pull-down staircase. "You know, if you uh, need anything…" He put his hands on his hips, looking around and doing a mental checklist while also trying to distract himself from staring at her. "So… yeah…"

Helga nodded, also looking around at her new surroundings. "Gotcha,"

An awkward pause. "Oookay, so, let's go get the ready of your stuff," Arnold mumbled and ducked out of the room. Helga raised an eyebrow at his behavior, only relaxing because she could tell Arnold was feeling uncomfortable himself. That at least took some pressure off of her and she could be amused by his awkwardness instead of thinking about her own.

Once they'd brought everything into the house, Arnold went searching through a linen closet to retrieve a set of sheets and a blanket for Helga.

"I think these are the right size," He said, avoiding eye contact with her as he set them on the desk, pulling out the fitted sheet to make the bed. Helga grabbed the other side and secured the other side over the mattress. Once they'd gotten the other sheet and the blanket onto the bed, Helga flopped down onto the bed which sent it flying back into the wall.

"_Holy shit!_" Came her muffled exclamation from behind the wall.

"Oh god, Helga!" Arnold hurried to pull the bed back down out of the wall. "I should have warned you about that…"

The bed, once neatly made, now looked somewhat crumpled and Helga's eyes were wide, her hair wild and pushed over to one side. "That was one hell of a ride," She said with a small laugh.

She sat with her legs tucked under her and off to the side, one fist on top of the blanket and supporting her weight. The air conditioning unit wasn't turned on so it was somewhat stuffy in the small room and so Helga's skin was slightly pink and clammy from the heat. Arnold found himself staring at her and this time, Helga caught him, too.

"Something wrong?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Oh!" Arnold stammered. "N-no, I… I forgot about the air conditioning," He walked over and turned the unit on, the loud fan now echoing in the room. "Hehe… here it is," He ran a hand through his hair, sneaking a glance back at her, back at the bed… "You need pillows," He stated matter-of-factly. "I'm gonna get you pillows. Uh, be right back!" And with that he hurried out of the room with Helga watching him, bewildered as ever.

. . . . . . . .

9 pm. Arnold would be home in a little over an hour. Helga had finished unpacking and was currently trying to get on the internet. She'd found the network, "SunsetArms786" but it required a password and Helga didn't have Arnold's cell phone number stored in her phone so it looked like that would have to wait.

Even after unpacking, the room felt plain. Her clothes were in the dresser and closet, hidden from sight, she had her laptop and some notebooks on the desk, and a small pink crocheted throw blanket overtop the one Arnold had put on her bed. Just about everything else was either in the closet or stored away in one of the desk drawers.

Helga climbed atop her new bed and carefully relaxed back onto it. An idea struck her. _I wonder… _She grabbed one of the pillows and sniffed. _Nope. _

She sighed. She wasn't quite sure how to feel about living here. Quite frankly, she was surprised this situation had fallen into place the way it had. After their high school graduation, Arnold and Helga hadn't really had any contact so the last thing she expected was to be living with the guy almost as soon as she got back into town. Granted, could she really say she was _living with him _if she was paying rent in his boarding house? Maybe it wasn't _exactly _the same thing…

Helga had changed a lot over the course of her college years. She was a bit more relaxed, a bit more comfortable with herself. She'd truly grown as a person in her time away. No more feeling like the black sheep. No more living in her sister's shadow and begging for a crumb of attention from the table of familial love. She wasn't just prize-winning Olga Pataki's sister. She was Helga: a writer, a college graduate, a psychologist (almost)… In college, she'd been hit on quite a few times but she was picky, and somehow no one ever quite lived up to her standards… or _standard_…

Sure, she'd thought about Arnold. He played a huge role in her life, how could she not? And _yeah_, she missed him… and okay, _yeah_, maybe she wondered how things might have turned out between them if not for going away to school… or the whole, awkward avoidance thing…

It was funny, ya know? Seeing Arnold and not feeling like a babbling moron – at least not _most _of the time. Maybe it was because she'd grown up. Maybe things were just different between them. However, as comfortable as she had gotten, there was still a good amount of awkwardness, tension, heavy pauses in the air in which she wondered if he was thinking about what she was thinking about… She tried to put those thoughts out of her mind. It was four years ago. It was in the past. It didn't mean anything and he was probably over it. Heck, he was probably over it the day after it happened. Still, she wondered…

And as much as she tried to deny it to herself, as much as she willed herself _not _to feel this way… he still had a way of making her heart skip a beat whenever he said her name…

. . . . . . . .

**_Flashback_**

_"Arnold, you _have _to go! You already bought your ticket!" Gerald exclaimed into the phone. "_And _your tux. That shit ain't cheap, man!"_

_It was the night before prom and Arnold was lying in bed, looking up at the stars and sullen. Lila had broken up with him a few days prior. When he asked her why, she'd insisted it would have been just _'ever so hard'_ to stay together, knowing that they would be splitting up soon anyway when they went to separate schools. Lila had been accepted into a university in North Carolina and had made the decision, so she said, to go to college without anything holding her back. She wanted to break away from Hillwood and everything in it… and for some reason, that meant breaking up with Arnold. _

_Granted, he _knew _this was coming. And while he couldn't say he had been _in love _with her, it still hurt. She'd said she'd still like to go to prom with him, as friends, and that they could still hang out and have a good time but Arnold just didn't feel up to it. It'd be too awkward and it still hurt._

_Arnold groaned into the phone as a response._

_"Mmm-mmm-mmm," Gerald said. "The girl's crazy. Don't worry about her, man. You'll still have fun,"_

_Hadn't Arnold said something to that effect to Helga a couple weeks ago? Wait a minute… crap! He'd promised to dance with her… why on earth had he said that?! _

_Arnold groaned again, though Gerald was unaware of his thoughts at the time. _

_Why _had _he offered to dance with Helga though? They barely spoke or saw each other anymore, even though he smiled at her when they did come into contact and he periodically wondered how she was doing._

_Over the years, their communication had dwindled considerably and they'd just drifted apart. The last time he remembered having any extensive contact with her was the summer after fourth grade when they saved the neighborhood from being torn down… When Helga told him she loved him in the most bizarre and unexpected of circumstances, sealed with a kiss. After the fact, she'd been very awkward and nervous and he'd given her the opportunity to _'take it back' _for lack of a better term… As if there was some sort of reset button on life. As if he could pretend he never heard that. As if, when she did take it back, there was any minute part of him that believed it had only been in the heat of the moment._

_It all made sense. The teasing, the taunting, the way he was always running into her unexpectedly, the strangely poetic and lovestruck monologues he'd stumble upon her reciting. But they never talked about it again so that made Arnold's life easy. He could go on pretending that everything was normal. Pretend that she hadn't rocked his world with this information and made him re-think every situation they'd been in together. Re-think every thought he'd had about her. Every feeling. He'd always cared about her, even when she was driving him crazy or making him angry… but her confession made him feel awkward. It made him think about things in ways he wasn't ready to think yet. So when she started avoiding him entirely, well, he just let it happen. And while that made things _'easier' _in some respects, she still haunted his subconscious, particularly every once in a while when her face, her voice, her name would find its way into his dreams._

_Out of curiosity, he'd gone to see one of her plays a couple years prior. He heard that she got a role as one of the stepsisters and, while thinking how appropriate that casting had been, he also remembered the remarkable way in which she'd taken the role of Juliet in fourth grade and made it her own. He'd been late to the show, coming in about fifteen minutes late, but he smiled when her infamous scowl was perfectly matched with her character's personality. She was funny, though, and Arnold had to hold his gut when Helga and Rhonda (the other stepsister) sang 'Stepsister's Lament' together. _

_The prince was searching all over town with Cinderella's forgotten slipper when Arnold's grandpa called. Grandma had slipped on a patch of ice outside the boarding house and considering the Packard was currently sitting in the school parking lot, Arnold needed to go home and take them to the hospital. He darted out of the auditorium and spent the rest of the night waiting in the ER waiting room with his grandparents: Grandma in a wheelchair (that she kept trying to get out of) and Grandma sitting next to her, trying to comfort her and help her forget about the pain. As it turned out, she'd dislocated her shoulder and her tailbone was badly bruised but she hadn't broken anything, thankfully._

_Maybe he should go to prom. If he was honest with himself, he knew he'd be okay. He knew this was going to happen as soon as Lila had gotten her acceptance letter. And if he was _really _honest with himself, he wasn't upset so much over losing Lila, but rather, over being dumped in general._

_"I'll probably go," Arnold said with a sigh, rolling over on his bed._

_"Good," Gerald said. "See ya tomorrow, Arnold. Look sharp,"_

_. . . . . . . ._

_"Good lord, what have I gotten myself into…" Helga stood in front of her full-length mirror, stunned, as she studied herself and the dress she'd picked out at the mall._

_She never wore dresses anymore, especially not ones that looked like _this_._

All this just because Football-head might dance with me… _She thought. _Man, I'm pathetic.

_But how could she have ignored his plaintive encouragement, the intoxicating way his eyes had locked on hers and looked so genuinely disappointed at the idea of her not going._

_Maybe she was fooling herself. Maybe she'd imagined it. Maybe he'd forgotten he even said that and, tomorrow when she arrived at prom, it'd be like any other day. They didn't speak, they didn't see each other. Same old, same old._

_And oh man, how was she going to deal with seeing Arnold and Lila together? She had a hard enough time seeing them holding hands in the hallway… what the hell had she been thinking?!_

I was too bold. _Helga mentally chastised herself and dropped her arms down to her sides, sighing at her image in the mirror. It was too late now… She had the dress, she had her ticket, and good grief, Phoebe had been so excited when Helga announced she was going to go. She'd yammered on and on for probably twenty minutes straight about how excited she was to help Helga with her hair and make-up and they could get dressed together and yack, yack, yack…_

_Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Maybe she could just take advantage of the free food and stuff her face all night, maybe make fun of some dweebs attempting to dance or pull a prank on someone. Helga snickered when the idea of spiking the punch crossed her mind. That would certainly make things interesting._

_But if there was any small chance that she would have some time with Arnold, she didn't want to throw that away. Even if he wasn't her _date_, spending time with him was the best she could ask for… and hell, maybe it would give her some closure. Maybe she could finally get over him and move on with her life. Pining over the same guy for 15 years with barely anything to show for it kind of wore on a girl after some time… _

_Helga turned to the side, eyeing her reflection in the mirror. _

_And as much as she didn't want to admit it, this dress did make her feel… well… _pretty.

**[A/N: Alright, there we go! Another chapter under the belt XD I'm getting so excited about what I have planned and I swear, I can't write it out fast enough lol. Be sure to let me know what you think and I'll try to update again soon! Toodles ^_^]**


	4. Chapter 4

**[A/N: Hello all! So, I'm finally posting chapter 4 and I'm *hoping* it doesn't take me too long to get chapter 5 done. I start school next week so we'll see how it goes... It's very possible I'll get the next chapter done so I'll do my best! Also, sorry this chapter is a bit on the shorter side - it just seemed like a good place to stop! I hope you enjoy it and let me know what you think! :)**

**I don't own Hey Arnold. Doi.]**

**Friday, June 21**

Arnold was working the day shift at the liquor store since tonight was Gerald's bachelor party. Really, it was more of a bachelor _adventure_. Arnold had planned to take Gerald out for food, then they would all go out to see a baseball game in the evening, and finish off the night at a bar downtown.

Meanwhile, this meant Grandpa was tending to Grandma for pretty much the whole day on his own. By ten o' clock she'd already been up for a few hours and now was sitting in front of the TV in the living room, a grey and white cat in her lap. Grandpa was sitting next to her and reading the newspaper, however, his mind frequently drifted to her. It was so painful spending day after day watching the woman you loved, the woman you'd known almost your entire life, slipping away bit by bit like sand in an hourglass. The best they could hope for these days were the precious moments, few and far between, when she remembered their names. But gone were the days of affectionate hugs, kisses on the forehead, snuggling together in those moments before sleep. These things now seemed like distant memories of a life once lived. Grandpa didn't let on how much he was hurting – he didn't want Arnold to worry any more than he already was. He kept up a strong front while his heart was breaking a little bit more each day.

On TV, a man in a red and blue apron was speaking enthusiastically about some sort of stuffed mushroom recipe. Grandma was quiet, only periodically stroking the fur of the cat in her lap.

"This is a good show," Grandma said suddenly, nudging Grandpa with her elbow but never breaking her gaze.

Grandpa looked up from his newspaper as the man on TV was sticking a baking tray into an oven. "Yep, it is," He said half-heartedly.

Grandma smiled and scratched the cat behind its ears.

. . . . . . . .

It was late when Helga stumbled through the front door to the boarding house. She'd been out with Phoebe and the other bridesmaids while Gerald and the guys went out for his bachelor party. The night had started off innocent enough – they took Phoebe to a nice restaurant and had dinner but then they went to a karaoke bar. At first it had only been Helga and Timberly that were willing to get up and sing in front of everyone but after enough drinks, they were all enjoying themselves and singing embarrassing renditions of classic songs while a crowd of other half-drunk people cheered them on.

Helga was relatively in control as she groped around the foyer wall for a light switch. There was a faint light coming from the kitchen and when she failed to find the light switch, she followed that instead. On her way to the kitchen, Helga stepped on a squeaky floorboard and jumped out of surprise, then started giggling uncontrollably. She bit her hand in an attempt to stifle her laughter as she turned into the kitchen.

Helga approached the fridge and opened it, looking for a snack. Or maybe she wanted water? She wasn't really sure.

"Hey Helga," Arnold's voice was low and soft but Helga still jumped out of her skin as she turned around. He was sitting at the table, one arm stretched out across the table and his oblong head laying somewhat sideways on it. He was pretty out of it.

And Helga started laughing again. "Holy _crap_, Football-head!" She whispered between laughs. "What are you doing?"

"Dying," Arnold groaned.

Helga closed the fridge and walked over. "Oh no," She said in baby-talk. "Did Arnold have too much to dwink?" She laughed again and Arnold narrowed his eyes at her, then buried his face in his arms. "Aww c'mon," She plopped down in the seat by him. "So, what? Are you gonna puke?"

"I already did…" Came Arnold's muffled voice.

"Oh criminy…" Helga stood up and walked over to the countertop, still relatively tipsy but not nearly to the point of getting sick over it. She pulled a glass out of the cupboard and filled it with water, then sat it down next to Arnold's head. "Here," She said. "You should drink some water,"

Arnold reluctantly lifted his head and looked at her. "I'm not thirsty,"

"Doesn't matter," Helga shrugged. "You're gonna get dehydrated if you don't,"

Arnold reached for the glass, almost knocking it over but Helga caught it.

"Sit up," Helga ordered and Arnold carefully obliged, wincing as he felt a rush to his head. Helga handed him the glass and he took it with both hands, slowly taking the smallest of sips. He still looked a bit green. "You never could hold your liquor," She commented, realizing only too late that she was referencing a topic they hadn't discussed in years… or at all, really. But who was to say that Arnold would even remember that comment in the morning?

. . . . . . . .

**Saturday, June 22**

The next morning Arnold awoke in his bed, stripped down to his boxers and completely unaware of how he'd gotten into bed the night before. He vaguely remembered a cab dropping him off at the boarding house as well as puking in the first floor bathroom but other than that, things were a little hazy.

He hadn't intended to get so drunk – he really _never _drank which was probably why he'd gotten so wasted in the first place. He just remembered being at the bar with the guys after a long day of fun and everyone was doing shots, buying rounds, doing shots, buying rounds…

Now Arnold was spending the afternoon behind the counter at the liquor store and felt like a walking, talking "Drink responsibly" billboard. He had a splitting headache and was still fighting off intermittent waves of nausea but thankfully he hadn't actually puked since last night.

_Never again… _Arnold moaned inwardly as he leaned against the counter, watching the clock.

"Did you at least have fun?" Grandpa had asked him when he finally came downstairs that morning.

Arnold had nodded. "Until I got sick, yeah," He said with a half smile.

Helga had still been asleep when he left… at least, he assumed she was. Her door was closed and according to Grandpa, everyone but Helga had come down for breakfast already. It didn't surprise him though, knowing that Helga had had a late night, too.

_Wait… I saw Helga last night… _Arnold's eyes widened and he suddenly felt mortified at the fact he'd woken up in only boxers and had no recollection of even going to bed. _Please tell me we didn't…_

Arnold grabbed his phone and quickly started a text message to Helga. They'd finally exchanged cell phone numbers a couple days ago when Helga locked herself out of the house and had resorted to climbing up the fire escape and waiting by Arnold's skylight to be let in (nearly scaring the crap out of Arnold in the process).

Arnold struggled to formulate his text to Helga. Everything he wrote felt so awkward…

**_Hey did anything unusual—_**

**_Do you know why I was only wearing—_**

**_I was drunk last night so—_**

He finally gave up trying to find the right wording and decided to take a more careful approach.

**_Hey._**

Or lame. Maybe it was lame…

Arnold agonized as he waited for Helga to respond, checking his phone at least once every five minutes until she finally responded almost an hour later.

**_Hey, feeling better?_**

Arnold took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, mulling over his choice of words.

**_A little. I don't remember much from last night._**

That should do it. There's the gateway for her to give some indication as to whether or not anything… significant… happened last night.

Arnold jumped in anticipation when his phone buzzed again. He opened Helga's text.

**_Haha, you were pathetic._**

Arnold sighed in relief. It didn't sound like anything had happened.

Unless she was making fun of him?

Arnold groaned and returned to texting.

**_Why?_**

**_You just were, Football-head. Miserable and sick and couldn't walk straight to save your ass._**

Arnold sighed again. That sounded reassuring. Sort of.

. . . . . . . .

Helga threw herself back against the pillows on her bed in a huff, her cell phone bouncing on the mattress as she let it fall out of her hand.

It was the middle of the afternoon and she'd finally woken up after a much needed sleep. She'd been up pretty late taking care of Arnold. He'd ended up puking again but thankfully he'd gotten it in the kitchen trash can rather than on the floor. It was a struggle getting Arnold up to his room, especially since Helga was a little woozy herself though her buzz was steadily wearing off as the night went on. He stumbled on the pull-down stairs leading to his attic bedroom but caught himself, though not before giving Helga a heart attack thinking he was gonna fall down on top of her. Once they'd gotten to his room, he immediately went over to his bed and collapsed on top of the covers, fully clothed.

"Arnold, you should probably stay up for a little while," She'd said, a little worried about him going to sleep so inebriated.

"No," He mumbled against his pillow, his messy blonde hair falling over his eyelids.

Helga sighed. "Come on, Football-head. Don't make me hurt you," She said with barely a menacing tone in her voice.

Arnold smiled slightly, his eyes still closed. "You'd never hurt me," He said sweetly, snuggling deeper into his pillow.

Helga rolled her eyes despite the flutter in her stomach. He had a point. Through all of the years she'd known him, she'd barely laid a finger on him. Maybe a shove here and there but if there was anyone she ever wanted to protect from harm, it was Arnold.

A gentle snore escaped from Arnold and it was obvious he'd fallen asleep. Helga moved closer to the bed and pulled off Arnold's shoes, one by one and set them carefully by the side of his bed. It was sort of bittersweet – she was happy to take care of him (she didn't even have to think about it) but it also reminded her of her life growing up with an alcoholic mother. How many nights had she spent like this?

Arnold stirred when Helga removed his socks.

"It's hot," He grumbled, fumbling to take his shirt off and not paying attention to Helga's presence whatsoever.

Helga choked on her breath a little bit when she caught a glimpse of Arnold's bare skin. He tossed the shirt carelessly across the room where it landed in the middle of the floor. He started unbuckling his belt and Helga averted her gaze.

"Okay, Arnold," She said nervously. "I'm gonna go,"

"No, don't goooo," Arnold whined a little bit but smiled.

"Uhh, I think I should," Helga said, looking from him to the door.

"Don't worry," He said, shifting and getting under his blanket. "Out of sight, out of mind,"

Helga turned a bright shade of red, speechless. Did he really just say that?

Arnold kicked off his pants under the blanket and relaxed back against his pillow with a content exhale.

"Better?" Helga asked shortly.

"Mmhmm," Arnold hummed. "Goodnight, Helga," He rolled over onto his side, opened his eyes half-way and smiled at her. Helga felt a chill run down her spine but before she could really think about it, Arnold was out like a light once again.

She'd stayed up for another hour or two after that, checking on him and making sure he didn't get sick again. Once she'd decided he was fine, Helga finally crawled into bed around 4:30 and slept like a rock.

Now, she was sure Arnold was texting her to try and figure out if anything had happened between them the night before and she wasn't sure how to feel about that. Indifferent? Insulted? Flattered? It was understandable why he'd be wondering but still, it was awkward. Helga could only be thankful that they'd had the conversation through texting and not in person.

Though she tried to ignore it, deep down Helga knew she still had feelings for Arnold. He'd always held a special place in her heart and despite the time and distance that had separated them the past few years, Helga could feel her dormant feelings rising to the surface like little bubbles in a pond. Being in the same house with him and seeing him every day only made this stronger and more difficult to deny. But she didn't want to put herself out there again. After everything that they'd been through in the time they'd known each other, it was easier to just pretend that the past was the past, especially without knowing how he felt about everything. And Helga would be damned if she was gonna be the first one to bring that topic up. It had probably just been a _heat of the moment _kind of thing… that seemed to be a theme in their relationship. But it was a long time ago and it just… It was too awkward. Too embarrassing and Helga had spent too much time trying to pretend it never happened while secretly wishing she could relive it time and again.

. . . . . . . .

**Friday, June 28**

Arnold and Helga made small talk on the way to the wedding rehearsal. The church Gerald and Phoebe were getting married in was a small one on a corner a few blocks away. It's exterior was almost entirely of stone and what it lacked in its perimeter, it made up in height. There was a large bell at the top and a tall stoop led up to two dark red double doors.

The pastor explained the order in which everything was going to happen in the ceremony then invited the wedding party to practice walking up and down the aisle. Gerald's groomsmen (Jamie-O, Sid, and Iggy) lined up with the bridesmaids and escorted them up to the altar at the front of the church.

When it was time for the best man and maid of honor to take their turn, Helga hooked her arm through Arnold's and felt a rush of butterflies in her stomach. Arm in arm with Arnold… in a church… No, no, no… Helga tried to squelch her girlish daydreams but it was hard to ignore the warmth flushing in her cheeks and the way the air around them felt tight and her breaths shallow.

She wasn't paying attention to what was going on and managed to step on the toe of her sneaker with her other foot, causing her to stumble.

"Whoa, Helga, are you okay?" Arnold asked as he helped her straighten back up and keep going.

Helga gulped. "Never better," She mumbled and rolled her eyes. _Really smooth, Helga…_

Arnold raised an eyebrow at her but kept walking and when they got to the front of the church, they separated and stood across from one another with the rest of the wedding party.

Helga snuck glances at Arnold as he and everyone else watched Phoebe walk up the aisle with her dad. Her mom was sitting in the front pew, teary-eyed already.

"Mother, don't cry!" Phoebe chuckled when she got to the front of the church.

"Oh sugar," Phoebe's mom stood up and wrapped her arms around her. "Don't expect your mama to do anything but," She squeezed her tight and Phoebe's dad cut in, gently placing an arm around her mother's waist as the embrace ended.

The pastor went over the specifics of what Gerald and Phoebe would be doing during the ceremony itself and everyone practiced the timing and pacing of their entrances and exits before finally calling it a wrap and heading out for the night.

"So, we're all meeting over at the Olive Branch for dinner," Gerald announced as they descended the steps outside. "Does everybody know how to get there?"

There were a few nods and a few 'yeah's as they all approached the street, gradually drifting in different directions as they went to their cars.

"I can't believe my best friend is getting married tomorrow," Helga said after her and Arnold had been in the car for a couple minutes.

Arnold slowed down to stop at a red light. "Yeah, it's pretty crazy,"

"I mean, I knew it was gonna happen one day," Helga shrugged, looking out the window. They'd be at the restaurant in a matter of minutes. "But it's still just… wow,"

"Yeah," Arnold nodded, accelerating again when the light turned green. "They're a great fit,"

"Pfft," Helga chuckled. "They're _made _for each other,"

"Yeah," Arnold sighed, sneaking a glance at her and smiling.

. . . . . . . .

**_Flashback_**

_"I feel like a wind-up doll," Helga muttered in Phoebe's living room, awkwardly patting at a curl hanging down from the side of her head. "Why am I doing this again?"_

_"Don't touch it!" Phoebe grabbed her hand and pushed it down. "You're gonna mess it up,"_

_Helga crossed her arms and scowled with a 'humph!'. _

_"You look lovely, Helga," Phoebe said reassuringly. "And trust me, I know you're gonna have fun. You just have to be… open-minded," She smiled._

_"Open-minded?" Helga raised an eyebrow. "What the heck are we going to, some sort of cult meeting or something?"_

_"Oh, Helga…" Phoebe shook her head just as the doorbell rang. "Time to go!" She exclaimed, bubbling with excitement._

_"Woopie…" Helga said, stealing one more look at herself in the mirror. She wasn't sure if she liked how she looked or if she couldn't even recognize herself but she was leaning towards the latter._

_"Hey Phoebe," Gerald greeted when Phoebe answered the door. She giggled when he kissed her on the cheek and lifted the plastic container her light blue corsage rested in. He nodded at Helga, standing off to the side. "Hi, Helga. Wow, you clean up pretty good,"_

_"Yay?" Helga responded sarcastically and Gerald rolled his eyes at his date's temperamental friend. _

_Phoebe was beaming as Gerald took it out and carefully slid it onto her wrist. "So where is Arnold?" She asked casually and Helga's ears immediately perked up._

_"He said he was gonna drive himself," Gerald shrugged as Phoebe was fastening his boutonniere. "Oww! Hey!"_

_"Sorry, you moved!" Phoebe said as she attached it to his jacket's lapel. "There, all done,"_

Arnold's driving himself? _Helga wondered. _What about Lila?

_When they arrived at the banquet hall where the prom was being held, crowds of students could be seen hanging around outside. Some were just in groups talking, others in pairs, some kids off to the side were sneaking puffs on their cigarettes. _

_Gerald parked his car and the three of them headed toward the entrance. There were tall white pillars on either side of the main doors and inside, a grand spiral staircase led up to the dance floor. The whole space was very open and the lights were dimmed with party lights spiraling and throwing bright colors across the walls. On the lower level, people were hanging out and talking and off to the right was a long line of couples and groups of friends waiting to get their pictures taken. On the left hand side was a bar with various appetizer-style food items as well as a few assorted beverage options._

_Arnold was over by the staircase, leaning against the banister and looking at his phone. _

_"Hey Arnold!" Gerald called as they approached him and Helga tried to hide behind Phoebe and Gerald._

_"Hey," Arnold looked up and smiled. "Hey, Phoebe. You look great,"_

_"Thank you, Arnold," Phoebe said with a sincere smile, then coughed slightly and stepped aside. "Helga, what are you doing back there?"_

_"Me? Nothing," Helga said, trying to be inconspicuous. "Just… standing…"_

_Arnold's eyes had locked onto Helga when Phoebe stepped aside. She was wearing a long, flowy pink dress with one shoulder strap that cinched at the waist before gently billowing out. Her long blonde hair was curled into loose spirals and pinned over to one side so a waterfall of curls spilled over onto her one bare shoulder. On the opposite side, a small, thin curl of baby hair gently bounced against the side of her face. Her eyebrows were always dark and thick but they'd been plucked into shape, now bringing attention to her bright blue eyes and the light pink eyeshadow that gently dusted her lids. With the addition of a thin line of eyeliner and some mascara, her eyes were almost magnetic and Arnold was having a hard time looking away so he was thankful that Helga was otherwise distracted by Phoebe. Helga normally always wore baggy jeans and T-shirts so seeing her in something so… feminine and flattering was rather shocking. And mesmerizing. The last time he'd seen her in a dress had been in the school musical back in January but that was plain and torn and… nothing like this._

_Gerald noticed this. "So, Arnold," He said a little loudly and Arnold quickly snapped out of his daze. "Whacha been up to?" _

_"Oh… uhh…" Arnold looked around. "Not much. I just got here a few minutes before you guys did,"_

_"Well," Gerald said, turning to his date. "Shall we dance?" He lifted her hand and gently kissed the tops of her fingers._

Phoebe giggled and blushed, "We shall!"

_"Hi Helga," Arnold said quietly as the four of them ascended the staircase._

_"Huh?" Helga jumped, almost tripping on her dress. "Damn heels... hehe..." She coughed, then scowled as they continued up the stairs. "Way to go, Football-head, I coulda died back there,"_

_Arnold grinned, "I dunno about _that_. Do you need any help?"_

_"No, I'm _fine_," Helga snapped and Arnold frowned. "I-I mean... um... no thanks. I'm just, not used to all _this_," She gestured toward her attire._

_"Well," Arnold cleared his throat. "You look really..."_

_Helga looked at him expectantly as his gaze remained locked on every step he took._

_"Umm, nice," He said simply and Helga's face fell a little bit. _Only nice? Ehh... well, it's better than horrendous, I guess...

_Helga slid her hand along the banister as they approached the top of the staircase, keeping her gaze on anything but Arnold. "Yeah, well... So do you," She gulped. _Too much? Oh god, too much. Damn it all to hell! _Helga mentally cursed herself._

_But when she turned to look at him, he was smiling at her and Helga felt her knees weakening. _

_"Thanks, Helga,"_

**[A/N: And so ends another chapter. I hope you guys liked it. We're building up to some bigger stuff and I'm so excited but I have to be patient and write it all out -_- siiiiigh lol I'll try to get the next chapter out soon! Until then, let me know what you think of everything so far! What do you think is gonna happen, in the present AND the past? Heehee. Toodles XD]**


	5. Chapter 5

**[A/N: Hello you lovely fanfiction readers! I'm so excited ahhhhhh! We're finally getting closer to the meat of the story and ish gonna be poppin' off, ya digg? XD I hope you guys like this chapter; I wanted to make sure I got it done since school starts tomorrow and I might not be able to write as frequently once that kicks into full gear. But fear not! I have pretty much the whole story outlined and I'm totally pumped to get it done. In the meantime, enjoy chapter 5 and let me know what you think! Any predictions are welcome, as well ^_^**

**Not mine is Hey Arnold.]**

"Thanks for coming," Gerald said to everyone as they stood up from the table. They'd spent the last two and a half hours eating pasta and breadsticks, drinking red wine, and exchanging funny or otherwise memorable stories over dinner. The night had finally come to a close and in less than 24 hours, Helga's best friend was going to be married.

"I'm really happy for you, Pheebs," She whispered in Phoebe's ear as the two hugged goodbye. Phoebe squeezed her a little tighter at that.

"I'm so glad you're here," She said as they pulled away.

"Pshh… like I'd miss it," Helga grinned.

Arnold followed behind Helga as everyone left the restaurant and headed outside. The sky was clear with a crescent moon shining brightly from above and the city traffic had died down since earlier. The air was warm but considerably cooler than it had been during the day, much to everyone's relief.

"It's a beautiful night," Arnold commented, looking up at the stars before unlocking the car.

"Yeah," Helga agreed as she slid into her seat and buckled in. "Hard to look away, isn't it?" She gazed out the window, contemplating the moon.

"Definitely…" Arnold nodded, starting the engine and pulling out onto the road.

"Hey Arnold?" Helga said a few moments later. "Weren't you gonna… I mean, _did_ you go to college?"

Arnold sighed. "No… I was going to but…" He paused. "It just didn't work out,"

"How come?" Helga asked, turning in her seat, her ears pricked with interest.

Arnold was quiet for a moment, his eyes fixated on the road. "I just didn't have time… My grandparents needed help around the boarding house and it just didn't make sense for me to leave them," They were almost home. "I tried taking a couple community college classes but I couldn't keep up with the course load _and _everything at home," He pulled up in front of the boarding house and put the car in park, then shrugged.

Helga nodded silently and the two of them got out of the car and went inside.

. . . . . . . .

As Arnold lay in bed that night, gazing up at the stars as he usually did before falling asleep, his mind swirled in contemplation. Talking about school with Helga only made him want to go even more and he felt even antsier thinking about how much time had already gone by. There had to be some way he could make it work, couldn't he? Ugh… but he'd tried already and would have failed his classes if he hadn't dropped out of them when he did. The sky up above seemed so vast, so limitless… and here he was, trapped and bound. Tethered to this place and feeling like he so desperately wanted to make a difference in the world… but how?

It was strange how he was starting to feel more comfortable around Helga. He'd relaxed a lot after realizing that he hadn't done anything foolish last week when he was drunk. There was still a lot of history between them and sure, he wanted to talk about it but the timing had to be right. The idea of randomly bringing it up with her felt awkward… but still, what could he say? Maybe she should be the one to bring it up. He was still trying to figure out how he felt about everything after all. The last thing he wanted to do was make a mistake and ruin everything.

But tomorrow would be a big day and he needed to get his sleep. Arnold forced himself to end his stargazing and rolled over on his side. His best friend would be married in less than 24 hours. How surreal.

. . . . . . . .

**Saturday, June 29**

"I swear, if there's a candle anywhere near me in that church, my head's gonna burst into flames," Helga said sarcastically as she, Phoebe, and Timberly entered the girls' motel room the next afternoon. They'd just come from the hair salon, having chosen to get their hair professionally done rather than doig it themselves. Kristina, Anjali, and Phoebe's mom were already in the room getting ready.

"Oh, Phoebe, I love it!" Anjali commented, a lock of her own dark brown hair wrapped around a curling iron.

"Thanks," Phoebe grinned.

"You girls hurry up and get dressed now," Phoebe's mom hurried them along. "The limo's gonna be here in twenty minutes. C'mon Phoebe, I'll help you with your dress," She went to the other side of the room where the wedding dress was still in its bag and hanging from a hook on the wall.

When everyone was ready they all piled into the black limo outside and headed for the church.

. . . . . . . .

Arnold and Gerald stood waiting at the front of the church, waiting for the ceremony to begin. To Arnold's chagrin, they'd changed the arrangement so that, rather than entering with the rest of the wedding party (and escorting Helga in), the best man would enter from the side along with Gerald to stand at the altar before the service.

The pews were gradually filling and people were quietly socializing as everyone got into place. At the end of the aisle Arnold could see some of the bridesmaids and groomsmen lining up as the ushers – two of Gerald's cousins – stood by either side of the doors.

"You ready?" Arnold leaned in towards Gerald.

"Born ready, man," He said, slightly nervous but with a smile, and turned his gaze back to the end of the aisle.

When the first notes of the organ rang out, the church quieted and turned toward the back as the processional began. First came Jamie-O and Anjali, then Iggy and Kristina, all of whom went to their places either on the left or right, just as they'd practiced the night before. A few flashes went off as people in the pews were taking pictures. After Sid and Timberly entered, Arnold knew Helga would be coming out next.

And when she did, his breath caught in his throat. She looked stunning – Her hair was curled and pinned up with a few long, wispy curls strategically placed to frame her face. The teal, halter-style dress swayed with every step she took and though it wasn't designed for this purpose, Arnold couldn't help but take notice of the feminine curves it accentuated. But it was her smile that really brought a sense of warmth to Arnold's chest. It wasn't often that Helga didn't have some sort of sarcastic or cynical look to her. She was always making quips about this or that, rolling her eyes, smirking, even scowling (though that was more prevalent in her younger years) but seeing her genuinely happy and with her guard down was one of those rare occurrences that was enough to make a person (or at least Arnold) stop and stare in awe.

She was beautiful.

Once Helga took her place, Arnold reminded himself to turn his gaze back to the doors. Everyone in the room stood up as Phoebe appeared in the doorway with her dad next to her, standing proud and tall (though they were the same height). As the organ played "Here Comes The Bride", Phoebe and her dad made their way up the aisle amidst a myriad of camera flashes. Phoebe was aglow and her smile was infectious. Arnold glanced next to him and the look on Gerald's face was indescribable. He looked positively elated, his eyes shimmering with the threat of tears.

When they reached the altar, Phoebe and her father hugged and he kissed her cheek, then nodded respectfully to Gerald before taking his seat in the front row with Phoebe's mom.

Phoebe looked up at Gerald with a shy smile as she stood before him and the service began.

. . . . . . . .

After the ceremony, everyone in the wedding party went to the park to take pictures before heading off to the reception. Pretty much all of the guests were waiting in the reception hall, eating hors d'oeuvres and chatting, when the limo arrived. As they pulled up outside, a wave of memories flooded Helga's mind. This was the same banquet hall where their prom had been held and she wondered if Arnold was thinking about the same thing.

They went in through a side entrance, rather than the main doors that led straight into the lower level. Everything was on the first level so the primary use of the second level was just going to be for the wedding party's entrance down that grand staircase. They followed a long hallway that led them to a door that opened up at the back of the second floor. It looked remarkably different from how Helga last remembered but that didn't come as any surprise. There were sconces along the walls of the room casting a dim light in the otherwise darkened space and a few extra, folded up round tables were leaning against one of the side walls. What once was a big empty space full of rowdy teenagers was now an understated area being used to store extra furniture that apparently didn't fit downstairs right now or simply wasn't needed.

Everyone lined up at the top of the staircase in the same order in which they'd processed into the church and waited for the DJ to announce their entrance.

Two by two, the bridesmaids and groomsmen made their way down the spiral staircase as their names were called, rounds of applause welcoming them to the lower level where everyone sat in wait.

"Helga Pataki, escorted by Arnold…" The DJ's voice was drowned out by everyone downstairs clapping and whistling.

"Here we go," Arnold offered Helga his arm.

She nodded, "Yup, here we go…"

They descended the staircase and Helga felt light on her feet. This whole experience had been amazing so far as it wasn't even over yet. Seeing her best friend get married was incredible and actually brought tears to Helga's eyes. She'd never seen Phoebe so happy. Then, to be spending the day on Arnold's arm certainly was a bonus. She would never admit it, of course, but having an excuse to walk with him and dance with him made the little girl inside her want to swoon. He looked so handsome in his tuxedo, his normally wild hair tamed, but still tousled, his face freshly shaven and the subtle scent of cologne whenever she was close enough…

Downstairs, the room was arranged quite differently from how it had been at prom. The staircase opened up toward the back corner of the room so everything was set-up to provide a decent view of the wedding party's entrance. At the very back, to the left of the staircase, was a long rectangular table at which the entire wedding party would sit and directly in front of that, a large area of floor space was left open for dancing. About a dozen large, round tables were set up all around the room and packed with guests, watching eagerly for the newly married couple to make their entrance.

"And now," The DJ said into the microphone once Arnold and Helga had taken their seats at their table. "It is my privilege to present to you all the one and only Mr. and Mrs. Gerald and Phoebe Johannsen!"

The room erupted into cheers, even louder than before, with people yelling and whistling and clapping to their hearts' content as Gerald and Phoebe walked proudly down the staircase.

"Ladies and gentlemen," The DJ said when he finally found a lull in the energetic crowd's cheers. "I'd like you all to turn your attention to the dance floor as our new couple will dance their first dance as husband and wife,"

Gerald and Phoebe, both smiling from ear to ear, walked out into the center of the dance floor as a gentle melody began to play. Phoebe wrapped her arms around Gerald's neck and Gerald's rested around her waist as they swayed to the music, their eyes locked dreamily onto one another's.

_"My love,  
There's only you in my life,  
The only thing that's bright,"_

Gerald mouthed the words to Phoebe and she giggled, smiling and resting her head against his chest.

_"My first love,  
You're every breath that I take,  
You're every step I make._

_And I,  
(I-I-I-I-I)  
I want to share  
All my love with you.  
No one else will do..."_

Helga watched with a content smile and resting her chin in her hand as the two of them slowly made circles out on the floor. Phoebe was glowing and even though she thoroughly enjoyed poking fun at Gerald, Helga could never deny that she couldn't have picked a better man for her best friend if she tried.

_"And your eyes,  
Your eyes, your eyes,  
They tell me how much you care.  
Ooh yes, you will always be  
My endless love,"_

Arnold smiled as his best friend laid his head against Phoebe's. He'd always known that Gerald had a crush on Phoebe ever since they were kids. When they finally started dating in high school, Arnold's only question had been, "What took you so long?" Now, watching them in this moment and thinking about all of the adventures and happiness they would have in their lives made Arnold infinitely proud to know them like he did. Love like Phoebe and Gerald shared was a rarity and witnessing it was a beautiful thing.

_"Two hearts,  
Two hearts that beat as one,  
Our lives have just begun,"_

Helga felt tears stinging in her eyes as she watched them. She looked away and snuck a peak at Arnold. He looked so peaceful, so happy watching their best friends out there. The atmosphere was intoxicating, joy and love permeating every square inch of the room and the hearts of everyone in it.

_"Forever,  
(ohhhhhh)  
I'll hold you close in my arms,  
I can't resist your charms,"_

Arnold looked over at Helga and his smile broadened slightly. Just a glance caused something to flutter in his chest and he had to look away, feeling heat spread across his cheeks.

Gerald kissed the top of Phoebe's head and lifted his arms a little bit, hugging her as the song was coming to an end.

_"Oooh, and love  
Oh, love  
I'll be that fool  
For you,  
I'm sure  
You know I don't mind  
Oh you know  
I don't mind._

_And, yes  
You'll be the only one  
'cause no one can deny  
This love I have inside,  
And I'll give it all to you  
My love  
My love, my love  
My endless love."_

As the song came to a close, everyone in the room clapped, some with tear streams down their faces.

"That was beautiful," The DJ commented as he continued to lead the course of events. "Now we'll have the members of the wedding party come out to the dance floor to get things started and in the meantime, there will be waiters coming around with appetizers,"

"Oh boy," Helga said under her breath as she stood up along with everyone else at the table. Each person was expected to share the first dance with the person they'd been paired with all day.

"Care to dance?" Arnold reached out his hand and put on an air of elegance.

"Don't have much choice, Football-head," Helga teased, giving him a smirk.

"C'mon, Helga," Arnold said as they and the rest of the wedding party joined Phoebe and Gerald on the dance floor. "Humor me,"

Helga rolled her eyes but smiled. "_Why_," She said in her best impression of a southern belle. "It would be my _pleasure_,"

As the music started to play, Arnold wrapped his arms around Helga and she tried to ignore the electricity that seemed to course through her at his touch.

"You sound like Phoebe's mom," Arnold whispered jokingly.

"Ha!" Helga laughed. "You would too if you spent as much time with her as I have in the past month,"

Arnold chuckled and Helga relaxed a little bit, her arms around his neck and slightly stiff with nervousness.

_"The closer I get to you,  
The more you make me see.  
By giving me all you've got,  
Your love has captured me,"_

"I'm so happy for them," Arnold said, looking over at Phoebe and Gerald then back at Helga, their faces inches apart.

"Yeah," Helga swallowed, following his gaze and feeling very aware of how close she was to him. "Me too…"

_"Over and over again  
I try to tell myself that we  
Could never be more than friends,  
And all the while inside  
I knew it was real,  
The way you make me feel,"_

"I like your hair," Arnold said, looking up at the mass of curls at Helga's crown and the soft spirals that were delicately bouncing against the sides of her face.

Helga looked up at him, meeting his gaze. "Thanks…" She smiled shyly and looked away. "I never do stuff like this,"

"You wear it well," Arnold replied and Helga couldn't quite read his expression.

_"Lying here next to you,  
Time just seems to fly.  
Needing you more and more,  
Let's give love a try._

_Sweeter and sweeter love grows  
And heaven's there for those  
Who fool the tricks of time  
With hearts of love we'll find  
True love  
In a special way,"_

The DJ had now invited other guests to join the wedding party out on the dance floor but Helga felt like they were the only two people in the room at this point. Time had slowed and she was captivated. By his scent, his arms around her, the music, the gentle swaying and turning that was making her no dizzier than the moment itself was. She felt like some sort of force was driving her to lay her head against his chest and she was fighting it as hard as she could.

"You smell good," She commented absent-mindedly. "Sorry, that's weird," She laughed.

Arnold chuckled. "No, it's not. Thanks,"

As the song went on, they gradually were getting closer to one another, their movements becoming more relaxed and fluid.

"Pretty cool that they decided to have the reception here, huh?" Arnold said, breaking Helga's trance.

"Oh," Helga said dreamily. "Yeah… pretty cool,"

"Brings back memories," Arnold said thoughtfully, looking out and around the room as Helga resisted the urge to pull him in closer.

"Yeah…" She murmured.

_"Come a little closer so we can see into the eyes of love.  
Just a little a closer let me speak to you,  
I wanna softly tell you something.  
Here I am- I just want you to come closer  
Come a little closer let me whisper in your ear  
'Cause I wanna tell you something.  
Move a little closer, we can say for real  
The way we feel about each other's lovin'…"_

As the music faded out, Arnold and Helga were two of the last ones still embracing, still swaying in time with the faint notes coming out of the speakers. Suddenly, a more upbeat dance song came on and the mood changed, though its shadow lingered.

"I think I'm gonna get something to eat," Helga said, playing with her nails nervously.

"Yeah," Arnold nodded and followed her back to the table. "I'm kinda hungry, too."

. . . . . . . .

Meanwhile, back at the boarding house, Grandpa was having a hard time taking care of Grandma. Her symptoms always seemed to be worse at night and so he was trying to get her to go to bed. It was just past 10 pm and the rest of the boarding house was quiet. Grandma was wandering around looking for her "purse" again as Grandpa wearily followed after her, trying to remind her that she hasn't carried a purse for a very long time but that the old one was upstairs in the bedroom closet.

So Grandma made it her mission to go upstairs and look for it.

"Pookie, it's late," Grandpa said as he trudged up the stairs behind her, one foot at a time. "Why don't you just go to bed?"

She wasn't quite paying attention to him, mumbling to herself about where she could have left the purse. "I've gotta get home,"

Grandpa frowned. "But Pookie, you _are_ home,"

"Now where could that dang thing be?" Grandma muttered to herself as she slowly made her way into the bedroom. Her pace had slowed down quite a bit with age. Grandpa paused at the top of the staircase to catch his breath before following her into the bedroom.

She was already in the closet, pushing around clothing that hung from hangers, pulling out boxes and opening them.

"Pookie…" Grandpa's voice was tired and plaintive. "We can find your purse in the morning. Please just go to bed,"

Grandma stopped what she was doing and turned to him. "What are you doing in here?" She asked suspiciously.

Grandpa was taken aback. "Me? I'm tryin' to get _you _to go to sleep, ya ol' bat!"

"Get out of my room!" Grandma suddenly glared at him.

"But—"

"Out!" She yelled. "You think I'm some kind of feeble young girl but you'll have another thing coming if you don't get the hell out!" She grabbed an umbrella from a can inside the closet and swatted at him.

"Ahh! Hey, stop that!" Grandpa backed up. "Good grief,"

"All you people," Grandma narrowed her eyes as she continued to wave the umbrella around, barely missing hitting Grandpa. "Talking to me like I'm some sort of invalid. I'll get out! Mark my words, _I'll _get out! I'm an adult! You can't keep me here forever!"

By this point Grandpa had gotten to the doorway and with a final huff, Grandma slammed the door in his face, leaving him alone in the hallway.

Grandpa heaved a sigh and turned away sadly, tears biting the corners of his eyes.

. . . . . . . .

**_Flashback_**

_Up on the second level, the lighting was a lot darker and all around them, crowds of teenagers were dancing, walking, standing in groups off to the side socializing. A DJ was set up in the corner and flashes of different colored lights were being thrown all over the room by a disco ball and two light stands on either side of his speakers._

_"You guys go ahead, I'm gonna sit this one out," Arnold said to Gerald and Phoebe as they went out into the mass of people dancing. He backed up to the wall where Helga was standing. Parts of the wall were open with a railing overlooking the lower level._

_"This is a pretty cool place," Arnold said when he came up next to her._

_Helga scoffed. "If you say so, Arnoldo,"_

_There was that Pataki attitude… _Why does she have to be so nice and then rude other times? _Arnold wondered, slightly annoyed._

_Helga had her arms crossed over the railing and was watching the people down below walk around. The curls resting against her shoulder were long enough to graze the edge of the railing. Arnold stood next to one of the complete wall segments, leaning casually against it and following her gaze._

_"So," Helga said suddenly, standing up straight and turning around to lean back against the railing, making Arnold slightly nervous but she didn't seem to care. "Where's _Lila_?" _

_"We broke up," Arnold said shortly and Helga tried to hide the fact she just about choked on her spit. Arnold shrugged. "I'm okay… I knew it wasn't going to last, but obviously it sucks anytime you get dumped, ya know?"_

_"I guess…" Helga said, looking at her feet. "She didn't deserve you anyway," She said under her breath but Arnold heard it._

_"What did you say?" He asked, his curiosity piqued._

_Helga jumped. "What? Nothing,"_

_"No," Arnold shook his head, a smirk developing. "You said something,"_

_"I dunno what you're talking about," Helga's voice cracked but she quickly scowled. "You're imagining things, Football-head,"_

_But Arnold wasn't giving up. "Thanks, Helga," He smiled with that half-lidded, knowing gaze he had. "That means a lot,"_

_"Oh criminy," Helga mumbled, thankful that the lighting was mostly dark otherwise it would be painfully obvious that her face had turned bright red._

_The song that had been playing when they got there ended and the familiar beat of the Cha Cha Slide thumped across the floor. Phoebe came running over with Gerald shortly behind._

_"Come dance with us!" She cried with more excitement than either of them were expecting._

_"I don't do line—" Helga started to stubbornly refuse but Phoebe grabbed her arm._

_"C'mon, Helga!" She said, sounding partly like she was begging and partly like she was demanding._

_Arnold looked at Gerald and he shrugged. "She's into it, I guess," He laughed._

_"I'll do it," Arnold said and Helga's eyes widened as he started to walk out._

_Helga rolled her eyes. "Okay, okay, _fine_, I'll dance your stupid—" _

_Phoebe pulled Helga into the crowd and the four of them lined up with everyone else._

"Slide to the left,  
slide to the right,  
Take it back now y'all,  
One hop this time,  
Right foot let's stomp,  
Left foot let's stomp,  
Cha cha, real smooth,"

_Phoebe and Gerald were both surprisingly adept at this dance, probably because they'd always gone to every school dance and this was one of those songs that got played at almost every kind of function that involved dancing._

_Meanwhile, Arnold and Helga were struggling to keep up with the steps but laughing about it all the way. The crowd would change direction and they'd run into each other or someone else. Helga felt like an idiot but it was kind of fun! And for a little while she forgot she was supposed to act a certain way around Arnold._

"Hands on your knees, hands on your knees!"

_Half of the people in the crowd, mostly girls, followed the direction and bounced their butts in the air, some trying to be sexy, others just goofing off. Helga, however, was having none of that. She stood awkwardly waiting for this part to be over._

_"Oh my god, Phoebe!" Helga shouted with a surprised laugh at seeing her quiet, reserved best friend shaking her little butt._

_"Like this?" Arnold said and the three of them looked over at him as he jokingly mimicked all the girls, shaking his own butt in the air._

_Helga about doubled-over laughing. "You're killin' me, Football-head!" She said, almost on the verge of tears._

_"I'm gonna pretend you didn't do that, man," Gerald laughed, slapping Arnold's back when he stood back up, also laughing at himself.  
_  
"How low can you go,  
All the way to the floor,  
Like you never, never stopped?  
Can you bring it to the top,  
Like you never, never stopped?"

_"I'm just…" Helga said, looking around at some of the girls who were getting very into this part and practically gyrating against the floor. "_not _gonna do that,"_

_As the song finished up, everyone was having fun, laughing at themselves and each other._

_"I still can't believe you," Helga laughed, shaking her head at Arnold as they moved out of the crowd when the song was pretty much over._

_Arnold shrugged, smirking. "I'm gonna go get a snack or something. Do you want anything?"_

_"Umm," Helga paused but she was somehow feeling more relaxed around him than she thought she'd be. "Sure… actually, I'll come too and see what they have down there,"_

_"Okay," Arnold said and the two of them went downstairs._

**[A/N: The songs in this chapter were "Endless Love" - Lionel Richie and Diana Ross, "The Closer I Get To You" - Luther Vandross and Beyonce and the infamous Cha Cha Slide by DJ Casper.]**


	6. Chapter 6

**[A/N: Hey guys! Sorry it's taken me so long to update. It might be relatively spaced out between chapters cuz holy crap am I busy! Between 3 jobs and being a full time student, I kind of have a lot on my plate! But I am committed to this story and promise to only put out long chapters to make up for the wait times :) (Oh, and btw, I had an idea for a new story and I am FIGHTING MYSELF to keep from starting that one simultaneously with this one lol But oh MAN am I excited for my new idea ;))**

**Anywho, I hope you guys like this chapter and let me know what you thought!**

**I don't own Hey Arnold]**

Everyone had already begun eating dinner when the time came for Helga and Arnold to make their speeches. The DJ introduced Helga first and she stood up, taking a microphone that one of Phoebe's aunts brought over to their table.

"Can you hear me?" She spoke into the mic. "Yup, alright, well… wow… see, when I realized I had to give a speech about Phoebe and Gerald, I was like, '_No sweat'_. I mean, I've known them forever," Helga shrugged. "But the more I thought about it, I realized that this wouldn't be such an easy thing to do. You see, I've known these two almost my entire life – since I was three years old – and in that time, Phoebe and I became a sort of… dynamic duo, if you will… She was always by my side, even when I didn't deserve it. To say the least, I was a bit of a handful," Phoebe's eyes were glistening behind her glasses and she smiled as Gerald draped his arm across her chair, both of them watching Helga. "But she taught me what friendship is really about and I know that no matter where she goes in life, she will always be bringing her compassion, understanding, and patience with her," Helga smirked and shot a good-humored look at the two of them. "And thank goodness, since she's married to this guy now," Helga jerked a thumb at them and everyone chuckled at their tables. "Really though, I've watched this thing between them grow from a seed of attraction to a delicate infatuation to the ever-evolving love you see before you today. I see two people who find balance in each other and who seem to be so perfectly matched you'd think the planets aligned _just right _in order for them to cross paths twenty-some years ago. I've known Phoebe almost my entire life and never do I see her as happy as I do whenever you're around, Gerald," Helga looked at him and he smiled. "We may have butt heads when we were kids but honestly, I couldn't have picked a better guy for my best friend if I held auditions," Helga reached behind her and picked up her champagne glass, lifting it up. "And on that note, I'd like to congratulate Phoebe and Gerald on this huge step they've taken, which we _all _saw coming," She winked. "_To Phoebe and Gerald!" _Everyone clinked their glasses and took sips of their champagne. "Take good care of her," Helga said as an aside. "Don't make me bring Ol' Betsy outta retirement," She smirked and Gerald gave a good-natured eye roll.

"You're up, Football-head," Helga said to Arnold as she handed the microphone off to him.

"And now, our best man will grace us with his own toast," The DJ said, getting everyone to quiet down again.

Arnold tapped the mic before he spoke. "Just like Helga, I've known Gerald and Phoebe since we were little kids. We all grew up together in the same neighborhood, going to the same school, and you learn a lot about people that way. I didn't realize back then how certain little things were indicators of what was to come. And yeah Gerald, that includes all those times you thought no one saw you looking at Phoebe with a big smile on your face," Everyone chuckled and Gerald smirked. "When we were kids, there was a time when Gerald didn't know how to ride a bike," Arnold glanced at Phoebe and Gerald, then turned back to the crowd. "If he knew back then that I'd be bringing this up on his wedding day, he'd be having a conniption but hear me out! As far back as I can remember, I've always had the role of advice-giver and I've always tried to help people out when they needed it. So when Gerald confessed to me that he never learned how to ride a bike, I made it my mission to get this guy riding like a pro. Or at least without training wheels," Everyone laughed again and Gerald even chuckled to himself a bit as Phoebe giggled. "We practiced and practiced and for a while, Gerald just kept crashing into things – traffic cones, trash cans, piles of tires. Eventually he did get the hang of it but in a way, I think riding a bike is a metaphor for the life you two are going to share," Arnold looked at Phoebe and Gerald. "Here's the thing: when Gerald was crashing into things, those obstructive objects were where his attention was but when you focus on where you _want _to go and not where you _don't _want to go, it's a lot easier to accomplish what you set out to do. I've never been married so as far as advice-giving goes, I think the roles are gonna reverse soon, at least in this area. But what I will say is this: as long as you two stay positive and keep your focus on your goals and not your obstacles, working as a team and pedaling through life together, I know you'll go far," Arnold held up his glass. "To Mr. and Mrs. Johanssen!"

Everyone clinked their glasses and downed their champagne as the DJ started the music back up with a funky dance song. People resumed socializing, some of them coming out to the dance floor with the encouragement of their alcoholic beverages.

Helga got herself a drink from the bartender and returned to her seat at the wedding party table.

"What'd you get?" Arnold asked when she sat down.

"Jack n' Coke," she said, taking a sip. This wasn't her first drink and she was already starting to feel the effects.

"Can I try it?" Arnold asked, testing the waters.

Helga raised an eyebrow. "You've never had one before?" She laughed. "Criminy, Football-head. You really do live under a rock, don't you?" She teased as she passed him her glass.

Arnold took a sip, contemplating whether he liked it or not. "It's good," He finally nodded.

Helga took her drink back and raised her eyebrows once. "Yup,"

"Well, how lovely it is to see _you two _here," A velvety voice sing-songed and Arnold and Helga looked up to see Rhonda Lloyd standing in front of their table. "It's been so long,"

"Hey Rhonda," Arnold said politely as Helga shrunk down in her seat the slightest bit.

"So!" She clasped her hands together. "Are you both here together?" She gave a coy smile.

"Well—" Arnold started to answer but Helga cut him off.

"We are both here. At the same time. Yup," She smiled, half wanting Rhonda to go away and half wanting to start laughing at herself.

Rhonda raised an eyebrow at her old classmate. "…Indeed,"

Their conversation was cut short when the DJ announced it was time for Phoebe to throw her bouquet.

"Oh, how marvelous!" Rhonda exclaimed. "I love this part,"

Helga didn't make a move to stand up but when the other bridesmaids started calling to her she decided it was probably some unwritten rule that the maid of honor participate in this event. Helga stood up from the table, a slight dizzy spell swirling in her head before she composed herself and went over to the crowd of girls standing behind Phoebe.

"Alright girls, are you ready?" Phoebe called, her never-fading smile just as bright and cheery as it had been for hours now.

Helga stood toward the back of the group, arms crossed, and as Phoebe tossed the bouquet, all of the girls squealed in their attempt at catching it, only to be sorely disappointed when it hit Helga smack dab in her chest. The girls looked at her expectantly as she stood there dumbly until one of them whispered for her to pick it back up.

Helga, wide-eyed, reached to the floor and retrieved the bouquet as everyone clapped, albeit some did so begrudgingly.

"Oh boy, how do ya like that," Gerald smirked as he shook his head. "Helga caught the bouquet,"

Arnold was watching earnestly. "Yup,"

"Now comes the fun part," Gerald said with a wink before going over to the center of the room where Phoebe had already sat down in a chair someone had pulled out for her.

Many of the guests, male and female, hooted and hollered as Gerald dove headfirst under Phoebe's wedding gown in search of the garter. Phoebe blushed a bright pink, giggling all the while, before Gerald finally emerged with the garment in his hand.

"Alright," The DJ said through the microphone. "All you single guys out there, you know what to do,"

"Go on, Arnold," Rhonda nudged him with a devilish smirk.

"Uh," Arnold stammered. "I-I think I'll sit this one out, I—"

"Hey," Gerald called out to the crowd of guys forming around him. "Isn't the best man supposed to be out here for this?"

Arnold sighed, slightly embarrassed as every eye turned to him.

"Come on, Arnold!" Sid called from the middle of the room.

"Okay, okay," Arnold said, reaching behind him and grabbing Helga's glass to take a swig. "I'm coming,"

He took a spot in the crowd, unsure whether he even wanted to catch it or not… he was relatively aware of the tradition that followed this event. The other guys eagerly anticipated Gerald tossing Phoebe's garter into the crowd as Arnold stood there, stuck in his own head.

_The likelihood of me even catching it is—_

"Well, whaddaya know!" The DJ mused. "What a match! The maid of honor and the best man, ladies and gentlemen!"

Everyone clapped as Arnold turned beat-red. He stole a look at Helga who was looking anywhere but at him.

"Wouldn't be the first time, eh?" Sid elbowed Arnold playfully as he passed by and that did nothing to help Arnold's blush.

Phoebe ushered Helga into her seat in the center of the dance floor and Arnold gulped as everyone formed a circle around them, watching.

_I can't believe this is happening. _Helga kept repeating to herself in her head, every muscle in her body feeling tense with anticipation and fear.

Arnold slowly walked up to her, praying that his blush wasn't as visible as it felt.

"So, uh…" He stretched the garter in his hand, it's lacy fabric all the more intimidating.

"Just do it, Football-head," Helga said through gritted teeth.

Arnold swallowed and knelt down in front of Helga as many of the guys whistled. Helga curled her bottom lip in and bit it, her breath caught in her throat as she watched Arnold gingerly slip her foot through the garter and slowly slide it up her leg. His skin barely swept across the inside of her knee and she suddenly felt warm. His gaze was intent, never straying from the garter as he pushed it up farther to the middle of her thigh. Helga could have imploded right there and the disappointment when Arnold was no longer touching her felt like a deflating balloon.

Everyone cheered, of course, as Arnold stood up, his heart racing and beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

"Not a word," Arnold said to Gerald and Sid as he returned to the table, still trying to will his blush away.

The two guys just looked at each other and smirked. "Not a word," Gerald nodded before wiggling his eyebrows and purring.

"Arghhhh," Arnold groaned as he plopped into his seat and the guys cracked up.

. . . . . . . .

The rest of the night went smoothly. Everyone was having a good time – drinking, laughing, socializing, dancing. Helga had really started to loosen up and was out on the dance floor actually dancing with the other girls. Arnold remained seated at the wedding party table, watching Helga and awkwardly unsure of what to do with himself.

"So," Sid said as he took a seat next to Arnold, following his gaze. "Helga's back in town, huh?"

"Uh, what?" Arnold came out of his daze. "Oh, umm, yeah,"

"Remember that time back in high school at Rhonda's house when you and Helga—"

"Make your point, Sid," Arnold cut him off, subtlely shrinking down in his seat. How many times was he going to blush tonight?

"I was just wondering, since, uh, I heard she's staying at the boarding house with you, if you two are… _ya know_…" Sid trailed off.

Arnold's eyes bugged out. "O-oh, no! We aren't - I mean, I, she… umm… no…" He swallowed, quietly groaning.

"So," Sid looked into the crowd at Helga. "You're saying she's available?" He grinned.

Suddenly Arnold felt very annoyed. "No, I-I need to go. See ya, Sid," Arnold said and abruptly stood up and walked away.

_What am I doing? _Arnold thought to himself but as the music changed, he found himself approaching Helga and tapping her gently on the shoulder.

She spun around to face him and the curly wisps of hair around her face, now loosened from dancing, bounced against her skin. "Hey Arnold," She smiled playfully. Her face was flushed but her expression was relaxed. Happy. "How's it goin'?"

Without even trying, Arnold smiled broadly. "It's great… I was wondering if you wanted to dance with me?"

"It would be _your_ honor," Helga said, then burst into laughter as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"How many trips did you take to the bar?" Arnold smirked.

"Only a few," Helga pouted at him. "I'm not _trashed_, Footballhead,"

"I know," He chuckled as they began to sway to the music.

_Lyin' here with you so close to me,  
It's hard to fight these feelings when it feels so hard to breathe.  
Caught up in this moment,  
Caught up in your smile._

"You seem like you're having a good time," Arnold commented as he rested his hands at the small of her back.

"Doi, it's a _wedding_," Helga laughed, throwing her head back, and when she met Arnold's gaze he felt a strange spark in his chest. "That's what you're supposed to do,"

"Yeah," He said absent-mindedly.

_I've never opened up to anyone.  
So hard to hold back when I'm holding you in my arms.  
We don't need to rush this,  
Let's just take it slow._

As they danced, swaying in circles around the floor, Helga felt peaceful. Sure, she had a good buzz going from the alcohol but she didn't want to attribute it solely to that. Though, that may have been what was allowing her to enjoy this in the first place rather than run away. Arnold asked her to dance, not because he had to but because he _wanted _to. And god, he looked so handsome in his tux with tufts of his wild blonde hair sticking up in every direction. He smelled like soap, cologne, and the slightest bit of sweat and Helga was completely entranced by it. Her head was spinning, her heart was spinning, the room was spinning, and it was only them.

_Just a kiss on your lips in the moonlight,  
Just a touch of the fire burning so bright,  
No I don't want to mess this thing up,  
I don't want to push too far.  
Just a shot in the dark that you just might  
Be the one I've been waiting for my whole life,  
So baby I'm alright, with just a kiss goodnight._

The longer they danced, the more Arnold felt like some sort of magnet was pulling them closer together. He couldn't explain it, nor did he understand it, but he wanted to be close to her. It was amazing how someone could change so much in the time you knew them. To go from a scowling, one-eyebrowed hellion of a girl to a beautiful, somewhat relaxed but still sharp-witted and enigmatic woman seemed confusing yet inevitable. He'd be lying if he tried to say there hadn't always been something intriguing about her.

_I know that if we give this a little time,  
It'll only bring us closer to the love we wanna find.  
It's never felt so real, no it's never felt so right._

Helga's head was spinning and her inhibitions were lowered. Arnold's green eyes mesmerized her and she felt so peaceful. Everything felt perfect and every fiber of her being was swooning on the inside. As they moved around the dance floor, voices and sounds in the room dulled by the enchantment of this moment, Helga rested her head against Arnold's chest, causing his heartbeat to pick up. It didn't take long for Arnold to gently rest his own head against the top of hers.

_Just a kiss on your lips in the moonlight,  
Just a touch of the fire burning so bright,  
No I don't want to mess this thing up,  
I don't want to push too far._

_Just a shot in the dark that you just might  
Be the one I've been waiting for my whole life,  
So baby I'm alright, with just a kiss goodnight._

As the song drew to a close, Arnold and Helga lifted their heads, meeting each other's gaze. For a brief moment, they were completely captivated, eyes searching eyes for any hidden truths that lay beneath the surface. Windows into the soul.

"Thanks for the dance," Helga suddenly felt bashful and took a step back.

"Oh," Arnold said, somewhat dismayed at the loss of contact. "Yeah… yeah, of course,"

. . . . . . . .

Most of the lights were off in the boarding house when Arnold and Helga got home. Arnold unlocked the door and they went inside, tiptoeing all the while in an attempt to avoid waking anyone up. Neither of them was drunk, though they were still relaxed and feeling comfortable with one another. Arnold shut and locked the front door and the two of them began to ascend the staircase. From the stairs, Helga quietly pointed toward the living room where Grandpa was sleeping on the couch, a dim table lamp giving off a soft, warm light as the old man snored. His face was grimaced and he clutched a pillow close to his chest.

Helga looked to Arnold for some sort of answer but he only shook his head and gestured for them to continue up the stairs. They crept through the hallway until reaching Helga's door.

"Tonight was fun," Arnold said in a hushed tone.

"Yeah," Helga whispered, leaning back against the wooden frame of her door. "Our friends should get married more often," She said playfully.

There it was again. Arnold could feel the air around them was thick and her eyes were pulling him in like the undertoe at the beach. The way the waves sloshed you around and you knew you were in something much more powerful than yourself – that's how he felt. His gaze fell to her soft, pink lips and the subtle overbite she retained from childhood. He wanted to touch her, hold her… he felt himself starting to lean in closer.

"Well, uh, goodnight," Arnold said abruptly, forcing himself out of his trance.

"Oh," Helga said, slightly disappointed. "Yeah… goodnight,"

. . . . . . . .

**Wednesday, July 3****rd**

"Happy birthday, Pookie," Grandpa said, setting a card in front of Grandma at the dining room table. Everyone had gotten up that morning to have breakfast together for her birthday, including the boarders. Arnold had made pancakes and eggs and finally sat down between Helga and Grandma to eat his own breakfast just as everyone else was almost finished.

"Me?" Grandma looked at Grandpa, confused. "It's not my birthday,"

"Yes it is, Grandma," Arnold reassured as he took a bite of his scrambled eggs. They were cold but he was too hungry to care. "July 3rd,"

"No kidding?" She turned to him, then picked up the card curiously.

"Yup," Arnold nodded, then picked up a different card that had been sitting in the middle of the table. "I got you a card, too,"

"Oh, this is just too sweet," Grandma said, fumbling to get into Grandpa's card. "You're all so kind,"

"Here," Helga said, catching Arnold's attention immediately as she reached behind her and pulled another card off of the hutch. "This one's from me,"

Grandma's expression was that of surprise and awe. "I just don't know what to say,"

"Let me help you with that, Grandma," Arnold said as he spent the rest of breakfast helping Grandma open her cards and reading them to her.

After breakfast, Arnold was clearing the table and putting the dirty dishes in the kitchen to be cleaned when Helga walked in with a couple dishes to add to the sink.

"Thanks," Arnold said, taking them from her, then looking past her at his grandparents – Grandpa helping Grandma to the living room. "And thanks for getting my grandma that card. That was really nice of you,"

Helga shrugged. "No sweat,"

"So what are you doing today?" Arnold asked casually. They hadn't spoken of what had almost happened the night of the wedding and neither was sure if the other was still thinking about it or not.

"Eh," Helga shrugged. "Probably gonna see if I can look up some financial aid stuff, see when my books for school are gonna be ready to order, yadda yadda,"

"Sounds fun," Arnold joked sarcastically.

"About as much fun as _you're _gonna have working at the liquor store?" Helga said smugly, leaning an elbow against the counter as Arnold began washing dishes.

"Ugh," He groaned. "Don't remind me,"

Helga thought for a moment. "How many classes did you try to take before?"

"Two," Arnold replied. "Why?"

"What if you only took one? It'd probably be cheaper and if you picked one you liked—"

"Helga, I really would rather not talk about this," Arnold said gruffly.

Helga went on, "I know you said it didn't work out before but I think—"

"_Helga," _Arnold said a little more forcefully and she immediately shut up. "It's not even an option, _okay_?"

Helga took her arm off the counter. "Yeah… okay," She said and walked out of the kitchen.

Arnold groaned, then resumed vigorously scrubbing a plate.

. . . . . . . .

Grandpa was putting the finishing touches on dinner. He'd made it clear to everyone that they were on their own tonight as he was making a special, romantic dinner for himself and Grandma. In all his years, he only knew how to make a few things and so tonight's menu consisted of salmon in a lemon butter sauce, roasted potatoes, and green beans. Even if she didn't remember him or know who he was, she was still his wife and the love of his life and he'd be damned if he didn't treat her as such.

A candle was lit and set in the center of the table with places set for two. The rest of the lights were dimmed and Grandma was waiting in the living room, completely oblivious. When Grandpa finally had everything ready, he went to retrieve his wife.

"Pookie," He said as he entered the living room. "Dinner's ready,"

"I'm not really hungry," Grandma said as she stared absent-mindedly at the television.

"Oh, c'mon," Grandpa said, grabbing the remote and turning it off. "I've got something special for ya,"

"You do?" Grandma said with child-like inquisitiveness as Grandpa helped her out of her seat. "For what?"

"For your birthday," Grandpa reaffirmed and Grandma gasped.

"It's my birthday?" She laughed. "I must have forgotten all about it!"

"I know, Pookie," Grandpa said quietly as they entered the dining room.

A plain white table cloth with lace at the edges covered the table and the candlelight flickered, casting shadows against the paneled walls. Grandpa had already brought out their dinners, glasses, and a bottle of red wine, all of which sat waiting for consumption.

"This is beautiful," Grandma said. "This is for _me?_"

"It's all for you," Grandpa nodded and escorted her to her chair before making his way to his own seat. "Oh, almost forgot!" He said, going into the other room for a moment before Dino Spumoni's voice echoed through the empty house.

"Dino _Spumoni_," Grandma swooned. "Oh, I love his music," She said dreamily and Grandpa smiled before sitting down and the two of them started to eat.

"I can't believe you did all this for _me_," Grandma said, taking a bite of one of the potatoes. "Where did you learn to cook?"

"You taught me a few things," Grandpa smiled at her and popped a forkful of salmon into his mouth.

"_I did?_" Grandma asked in surprise.

"Yep, you did," Grandpa nodded. "And I've got dessert once you're done with that,"

"Oh," Grandma said humbly. "This is all too much. You're so thoughtful…"

"Hold that thought," Grandpa said, getting up from the table and going into the kitchen. Grandma looked around the room, catching her reflection in the glass doors of the hutch. It didn't make sense for her to look so old. Was that even her? It couldn't be.

Grandpa returned carrying a hot baking pan, his hands protected by oven mitts. He sat the pan on a heat-resistant place mat in the middle of the table.

"What is that?" Grandma asked, leaning closer to catch a peek.

"Raspberry cobbler," Grandpa answered. "Your favorite… it never really agreed with me but—"

"Can I have some?" Grandma asked, looking up at him.

"O-of course," Grandpa pulled a spatula out of one of the hutch drawers and cut a piece for her, setting it on an empty spot on her plate.

Grandma picked up her fork and took a bite, reveling. "Mmmm… this is wonderful," She took another bite, closing her eyes and enjoying. "I do love raspberry,"

Grandpa smiled at his wife. That'd always been a thing between them. While he always advised everyone to 'Never eat raspberries' considering how fervently his gastrointestinal tract despised them, his wife could never get enough. He spent a good portion of their marriage in the bathroom for her sake but he wouldn't change a thing if you gave him the chance.

The record player in the next room switched to a different, slower song and Grandpa sat the spatula down on the table. "You wanna dance, Pookie?"

Grandma nodded and allowed Grandpa to help her up. He took one of her hands in his, resting the other at her hip and the two of them swayed in time with the music, their older bodies worn out and slow but naturally falling into a familiar rhythm.

"You're so good to me," Grandma said suddenly, breaking the silence and Grandpa's eyes darted immediately to hers. They were wet with the threat of tears.

"Oh, no no no, don't do that," Grandpa said, taking a hand and gently wiping under one eye with the side of his finger.

Grandma smiled wistfully and moved into his arms. "What's wrong with me?" She asked with a sad sense of desperation.

"Nothing," Grandpa shushed. "Nothing's wrong with you, you just went away for a little while," He said, pulling her into a hug and kissing the top of her head.

"I love you, Phil," She said, her voice muffled against his collar.

"I love you, too, Pookie," Grandpa's eyes watered and he fought to keep his voice from breaking.

"What's gonna happen to me?" Grandma said, pulling back. "How long will this last?"

Grandpa shrugged. "I dunno… it doesn't happen often and when it does, only a few minutes,"

Grandma's brow furrowed and she looked away.

"It'll be okay, Pookie," Grandpa reassured, though part of him was unsure as to whether he was comforting her or himself.

Grandma turned to him quietly and her muscles tensed. "Wait a minute… what, what are you doing?"

"I—"

"Get your hands off me!" Grandma pushed him away. "Help!" She called out. "Who are you? Am I _supposed_ to know you?"

Grandpa stepped toward her. "Pookie, it's me, Phil,"

"Why are you calling me that?" She turned and started hurrying away, all the while worrying Grandpa that she'd fall over. "Don't come any closer! _Help!_"

It was at this moment that Arnold walked in, home from work to find his grandparents in the living room.

"Hey, how's it—"

"Oh, I'm so glad you're here," Grandma said to Arnold. "Please, get him out of here!"

"Grandma, what are you talking—"

Grandpa continued to follow her, completely worried that she was going to fall if she kept this up. She was trying to move faster than her elderly body could handle.

"Don't come any closer!" Grandma shouted and grabbed a book from the coffee table and threw it at Phil, hitting him in the leg.

"Oww!"

"Grandma, come on," Arnold went over to her and tried to gently grab her arm and escort her but she shoved him off. "Get off of me!" She picked up the TV remote and threw it at Phil who was still too close. Grandma tried to get away but stumbled and Arnold barely caught her before she hit the floor.

Grandpa's eyes were watering and a couple tears had already escaped down the sides of his face as Arnold pulled Grandma back up to her feet.

"Who _are_ you?" She redirected at Grandpa once she was upright and stable again. "Get him out of here, Miles, don't you understand?"

"Huh?" Arnold raised an eyebrow.

Grandma picked up a vase of flowers on the end table by the couch and threw it at Grandpa, almost hitting him in the head, had he not ducked in time.

No one heard keys rattling or the sound of the front door opening or closing, nor did they notice Helga standing in the foyer, shocked into place at the scene unfolding before her.

"Pookie, _please_," Grandpa pleaded.

"Get away from me, I'm warning you!" She reached to grab a set of glass coasters from the coffee table when Arnold grabbed her arm.

"No, you have to stop throwing things!" He struggled against her before finally wrangling the container out of her hand.

"Miles, why don't you _do _something!?" Grandma exclaimed angrily.

"That's not Miles!" Grandpa shouted, his voice breaking.

"_You _don't tell me what to do!" Grandma shot Grandpa a fierce look. "Get back!" She looked around, desperately trying to find something to throw or defend herself with.

"That's _Arnold_, Pookie. That's our _grandson_ and I'm _Phil_," Grandpa said.

"I don't have a grandson!" Grandma glared. "Miles—"

"_Miles is dead!" _Grandpa yelled in complete desperation and anguish.

"No, he's not!" Grandma yelled back. "How… how _dare_ you?" She said quietly, her voice shaky.

Grandpa couldn't handle anymore and just went back into the dining room to clean up dinner, his eyes flooded with tears.

Arnold swallowed the black cloud that was moving in over his heart. Grandma was calming down and her expression was vacant, her eyes glassy. "How about some TV, Grandma?"

Grandma gave a small nod and sat down on the couch. "Yes, TV sounds nice," She smiled up at him as he walked over and manually turned the TV back on. "Thank you,"

Arnold nodded at her, then hurried out of the room. When he almost ran into Helga in the foyer, he stopped dead in his tracks. Had she seen all of that?

He didn't know. He didn't care. He couldn't care. He needed to get out.

"Arnold, I—" Helga started but Arnold brushed past her and hurried outside, shutting the door behind him.

Helga paused and looked into the living room again. Grandma was content again, watching TV from the couch and Grandpa was in the kitchen doing dishes. She looked behind her at the front door. Should she follow him? What the hell did she just walk into?

Without too much more thought, Helga sat the paperbag holding her burger and fries down on the table in the foyer and darted outside to follow Arnold.

**[A/N: The song in this chapter was "Just a Kiss" by Lady Antebellum.]**


	7. Chapter 7

**[A/N: Okay... So, I don't know how I feel right now lol But, a lot of questions will be answered after reading this chapter. I will warn you, it gets a little...umm... risque... so, prepare yourselves! (I don't think it's TOOO insane but... yeah...)**

**I don't own ANYTHING.]**

**_Flashback_**

_The snack table didn't provide much in the way of sustenance. A variety of chips, pretzels, and bite-size candies and chocolates were arranged in large serving dishes and a few teacher-chaperones were nearby, ready to replenish the bowls as they emptied. There was, however, a chocolate fountain at one end of the table and people were using toothpicks to dip marshmallows and cut up pieces of fruit in it. _

_Arnold stuck a toothpick into a strawberry and dipped it into the chocolate._

_"Mmm, this is good," He mumbled after he took a bite. "Helga, you should try it,"_

_"Actually I'm allergic to strawberries," Helga said, sticking a toothpick into a marshmallow and running it through the cascading chocolate waterfall as other students reached around her. _

_"Oh," Arnold said, tossing his toothpick and the leafy end of his strawberry into a nearby trashcan. "I didn't know that. What happens?"_

_"Hives," Helga shrugged and ate her marshmallow in one bite, dropping the toothpick into the trash as well._

_"Oh wow," Arnold said. "So I guess you can't have any of the other fruit either?"_

_"Considering they're mixed all in the same bowl and they've probably been like that for hours, that's a safe bet," Helga nodded. _

_"Arnold, hi!" Lila's sugary sweet voice interrupted the conversation, barely audible over the thumping bass coming from upstairs. "It's good to see you,"_

_Helga's face immediately fell into a scowl and she bit the inside of her cheek as she turned around to pour herself a cup of punch, her ears pricked to hear their conversation nonetheless._

_"Hey Lila," Arnold said politely. He wasn't sure how to act around Lila and honestly, he was enjoying hanging out with Helga and was slightly dismayed at the interruption. "You, too,"_

_"Helga," Lila leaned in so Helga could hear her over her shoulder. Helga turned around, plastering the fakest smile on her face. "Do you mind if I steal him away for just a second?"_

_Helga looked at Arnold. _Wouldn't be the first time. _She thought to herself._

_"Nope, he's all yours," Helga shrugged nonchalantly and turned back around._

_Arnold's gaze lingered on her for just a second before following Lila over to the other side of the room. She sat down on a cushioned seat and Arnold sat on a loveseat perpendicular to her. _

_"What's up?" He asked, catching Helga heading back upstairs out of the corner of his eye._

_"Well," Lila clasped her hands together, daintily folding her legs to one side. "I just wanted to make sure you're okay. I really do still want to be friends, Arnold. And I'd feel just, ever so awful if you… well, if you resented me for my decision,"_

_"I don't resent you, Lila," Arnold replied, trying to fight the urge to look and see if Helga had come back downstairs. "I'm okay; I understand. You don't have to worry about us not being friends," He smiled._

_"Oh good," Lila breathed a sigh of relief. "Because I truly cherish our friendship, Arnold. And even if things didn't work out between us, you're still an ever so special person in my life,"_

_"Thanks, Lila," Arnold said, scooting forward in his seat to soon stand up. "That means a lot,"_

_"Great," Lila said, finally standing up and Arnold followed suit. "Well, I'm gonna go get some lemonade," Lila turned and paused, looking back at him. "Where'd Helga go?"_

_"I think she went back upstairs," Arnold said, taking a step to head in that direction. _

_Lila smiled. "I'm glad you two are finally getting along. She's really not so bad deep down,"_

_"Yeah," Arnold's lips turned up in a small smile. "I know. See ya around, Lila!"_

_Arnold consciously kept himself from jogging up the stairs to find Helga. Why was he so intent on hanging around her? Sure, she looked really pretty… and okay, yeah, it was pretty rare and awesome whenever Helga wasn't biting his head off. He didn't quite understand this strange, magnetic effect that Helga had on him but he didn't let himself think about it long enough to really figure anything out. _

_She'd always intrigued, mesmerized, frustrated, and perplexed him. No matter how many times she pushed him away or bullied him, he always came back. He was always there if she needed help, always interested in whether or not she was okay or simply ready to greet her with a kind hello. How was he so dauntless and persistent? And why?_

_Nevermind that inexplicable Freudian slip he had at the mall about saving a dance for her… Even if he wasn't fully aware of it, there was something brewing just below the surface of his consciousness. In simple terms, he just wanted to hang out with Helga. She wasn't being mean, he was actually having fun with her, and no seventeen year old guy could ignore the way she looked tonight. No, she wasn't your typical beauty queen but in a way, that made it better. She wasn't perfect; primped, plucked, waxed, highlighted, or tanned to the standards set by every other girl that was considered 'hot' at their school. She was pale, with thick eyebrows and a critical gaze. But she was perfect in her imperfections. A smile from someone who rarely smiled was like finding a buried treasure, locked away in the laugh of a person you've always cared about. Her eyes, normally shooting daggers with her infamous scowl, were bright and clandestine, holding secrets that one could only hope to scratch the surface of. _

_Phoebe and Gerald had taken a break from dancing and Helga was now sitting at a small table near the wall talking with Phoebe while Gerald went to the restroom._

_"Hey, sorry about that," Arnold said, sitting down at the table with them._

_Helga put her hands up, "No snot outta my nose," She said and rolled her eyes._

_Arnold decided not to respond to her comment. He wasn't an idiot; he could always tell when something bothered Helga more than she let on. Some things were just kept simpler if he didn't investigate them. This he learned many years ago. How much simpler would things be if he'd never pressured her to tell him why she helped him save the neighborhood at FTi? Not that any substantial changes had happened as a result but it wasn't like he could forget something like that… even if she _had _taken it back. He knew it hadn't just been in the 'heat of the moment' and that thought terrified him back then. He'd spent a lot of time thinking about it, running through that whole scene over and over again in his mind, trying to understand how… why? He was glad in a way that they'd decided to sweep it under the rug because that kept things simple. Arnold didn't have to figure out how he felt about her, nor did he have to worry about anything changing. _

_"So, what's up?" Arnold asked, changing the subject. _

_"Gerald went to the bathroom," Phoebe responded as Helga picked at her fingernails. "Then I think we're going to go try the chocolate fountain. Helga was telling me about it and it sounds wonderful!"_

_"Yeah, it was really good," Arnold smiled. "I'm glad the prom committee actually convinced the administration to let us get it,"_

_"Hey man," Gerald slapped Arnold on the back when he returned to their table. "Ready when you are, babe," He said to Phoebe._

_"We'll be back, you guys!" Phoebe said to Arnold and Helga as she stood up and walked arm in arm with Gerald downstairs. _

_There was awkward pause at the table before Helga finally looked up from her fidgeting and asked, "So, what's the deal with you and Ms. Perfect anyway? Weren't you two all ga-ga over each other last week or somethin'? What gives?"_

_"I told you, she dumped me," Arnold replied._

_"Well, yeah…" Helga scoffed and let her voice trail off, wanting Arnold to tell her more but unwilling to say anything more that might reveal her uncomfortable jealousy._

_"We're still friends," Arnold shrugged. "I was upset at first but now…" Arnold paused. "I'm okay with it. She just wanted to make sure I didn't hate her,"_

_"Hmm," Helga said, temporarily satisfied with this response._

_"So," Arnold said, crossing his arms on the table. "Do you have plans after graduation?"_

_"Oh, hell yeah," Helga said, her mood lifting. "I'm getting the heck outta this city and away from—" She stopped, changing her original sentence. "Everything," She said simply instead._

_"Everything?"_

_"Yeah, Footballhead," She crossed her arms. "I mean, you would, too if you had a family like mine,"_

_"So where are you gonna go?" Arnold asked, his full attention on Helga._

_"I haven't decided yet," Helga answered. "I'm torn between Hereford State University and Columbia Colleg. They're both only a couple states away but the farther I can get away from Bob and Miriam, the better,"_

_"That's pretty awesome, Helga," Arnold said admiringly. "I think I'm going to Milford State. It's about an hour drive up the interstate so I could still come home and see everyone,"_

_Helga nodded. "Good for you,"_

_"Thanks," Arnold smiled. The song playing from the DJ's speakers changed and before Arnold could stop himself he asked, "Do you wanna dance?"_

_"Wha?" Helga stumbled over her words. "O-oh, umm, okay," She said, wide-eyed as she and Arnold stood up and moved to the dancefloor where other students had coupled up and were swaying back and forth to the somewhat slow song._

So long,  
I've been looking too hard, I've waiting too long.  
Sometimes I don't know what I will find,  
I only know it's a matter of time,  
When you love someone.

_Helga's heart was pounding in her chest as Arnold wrapped his arms around her waist and her head was spinning just from the simple fact of being inches away from the guy. He was _touching her_ and she felt stupid for how stunned into place it made her. _

When you love someone.

_She awkwardly moved her arms up to place them at his shoulders and she mentally shouted at herself to loosen up lest it appear she was some sort of awkward, blithering, Barbie-doll robot or something._

It feels so right, so warm and true,  
I need to know if you feel it, too.

_She looked so terrified and helpless and Arnold couldn't help but smile. Her face was soft and vulnerable, her eyes wide and searching. _

Maybe I'm wrong.  
Won't you tell me if I'm coming on too strong?  
This heart of mine has been hurt before,  
This time I wanna be sure.

_"So," Helga blurted out in a voice slightly higher than normal. "Are _you _allergic to anything?" _Brilliant, Helga. _She mentally chastised herself. _You are officially the most awkward human being.

_"Umm," Arnold said, slightly taken aback by the randomness of her question. "I don't think so. Not that I know of, at least,"_

I've been waiting for a girl like you,  
To come into my life.  
I've been waiting for a girl like you,  
A love that will survive.  
I've been waiting for someone new,  
To make me feel alive.  
Yeah, waiting for a girl like you,  
To come into my life.

_Helga was looking everywhere but at Arnold and the fact that he hadn't taken his gaze off of her was making her dizzy. Meanwhile, Arnold watched her through half-lidded eyes, completely amused at her nervousness. It was cute._

Wait. _Arnold thought. _I think Helga's cute?

_As the song continued, Arnold couldn't help but feel comfortable and Helga slowly started to relax as well. It seemed that way, at least. She moved her arms up so her hands clasped behind his neck, though she still insisted on looking at the staircase, the floor, the crowd – anywhere but his face._

Now, I know it's right,  
From the moment I wake up till deep in the night.  
There's nowhere on earth that I'd rather be,  
Than holding you, tenderly.

_"Are you okay?" Arnold asked, still finding her behavior somewhat entertaining. _

_"Yup!" Helga said in a too-chipper voice. "Hehe, never better! Peachy…" She sighed._

I've been waiting for a girl like you,  
To come into my life.  
I've been waiting for a girl like you,  
And a love that will survive.  
I've been waiting for someone new,  
To make me feel alive.  
Yeah, waiting for a girl like you,  
To come into my life.

_As the song came to a close, Arnold and Helga slowly separated. Helga, ducking her head, had a pink tint across her cheeks._

_"Okay, so," Helga said, forcing herself to be composed. "Thanks for the dance… I need to pee," And without listening for his response, Helga darted to the ladies' room, leaving Arnold mildly perplexed and intrigued as always._

_"Get it together, Helga!" She coached herself, leaning forward into the mirror. The countertop was wet with water from the sinks. "It's just Arnold… oh, who am I kidding? It's _just _Arnold? Could more understated words escape my lips?" She heaved a sigh and turned around, leaning back against the counter. "I have to remember it doesn't mean anything," Helga said in a low, determined tone, her face in a frown. "He's on the rebound and it-it…things don't change this suddenly," She looked wistfully toward the door, the thumping beat and indistinguishable melody of a pop song playing loud enough to disturb what would otherwise be a silent bathroom. "It's just for tonight. Like… like Cinderella or something… everything might be great for a while but… but when the clock strikes midnight I'm still going back to that goddamn pumpkin…" She turned back around and looked in the mirror, settling her nerves. "It's just for tonight. I'm not invested," She looked herself hard in the eyes. "I can do this," She said, half trying to convince herself it was true._

_For the rest of the night, Helga, Arnold, Phoebe and Gerald spent most of their time together – hanging out, talking, dancing, eating and generally having a good time. At midnight, the lights came on and chaperones started ushering the students out of the hall as the DJ began to shut down his equipment._

_"My feet are killing me," Helga groaned when they got outside. "Hold on, I can't do this shit anymore…" She stopped walking and Phoebe, Gerald and Arnold waited as she plucked both of her heels off and continued walking barefoot._

_"So do you guys wanna go get somethin' to eat or somethin'?" Gerald asked as they walked through the rows of cars in the parking lot._

_"Dude!" Sid called from the other side of the parking lot. "After party at Rhonda's!"_

_"Or that?" Gerald added to his original question._

_"Sure, why not?" Arnold shrugged._

_Phoebe looked at Helga. "I'll go if you do, Helga,"_

_"Criminy," Helga rolled her eyes. "Yeah, make _me _the deciding factor...Okay, fine, I'll go but _not _dressed like this,"_

_"I can run you home to change," Arnold offered. "If you want,"_

_"That could work," Gerald nodded. "You guys could just meet us there. Do you wanna do that?" He looked to each of them for agreement and when they nodded, "Okay, cool. See you guys soon!"_

_It was awkwardly silent in the Packard as Arnold drove to Helga's house. Neither of them knew what to say to one another now that they were alone. The tension was palpable._

_"Just wait here, I won't take long," Helga said before ducking out of the car when they pulled up in front of her brownstone._

Why… _Arnold thought to himself as he waited in the car. _Why do things seem so different? Helga isn't usually this… nice, but I like it…

_He wasn't waiting longer before Helga returned, dressed in a pair of capri-style jeans, a pink tee and beat-up black Converses. Her hair was beginning to come unpinned but her curls still swooped over to one side and her make-up was still there, although it was starting to wear away. Somehow she was still just as magnetic as she had been when she first entered the prom._

_"Step on it, Jeeves," Helga said when she plopped back into the passenger seat, earning her a small chuckle from Arnold before he pulled away from the curb and they headed to Rhonda's house._

_A lot of kids from school had already gotten to the house and Arnold had to drive around for a little while to find a parking space. Arnold slipped out of his jacket and tie and tossed them in the backseat before locking the car up. Gerald and Phoebe were hanging out front when Arnold and Helga walked up to the front door. Gerald had also ditched his jacket and now wore only his dress shirt and pants. Phoebe hadn't changed out of her dress but had put on a pair of sandals and left her heels in Gerald's car._

_Inside Rhonda's house, it was a lot more crowded than they had expected. The lights were dimmed and music thumped throughout the first floor as they fought to get through the crowd. There was a game of beer pong going on in the front room and in the dining room people were doing shots. At one point Helga caught sight of a couple making out on a loveseat with absolutely no regard for what was going on around them._

_"Welcome," Rhonda smiled at them as she came over to greet them. "So glad to have you. There are refreshments in the kitchen – finger sandwiches, chips, pretzels, you know… and of course, you have your choice of alcohol," _

_"You up for a round?" Gerald nudged Arnold as he grabbed a bottle of tequila and Rhonda, playing the good hostess, set up four shot glasses on the countertop. _

_"I dunno…" Arnold considered, watching as Gerald filled each glass._

_Gerald offered a glass to Phoebe, "Babe?" _

_She studied it and Gerald started to reach to put it back on the counter but she grabbed it and downed it in one gulp._

_"Phoebe!" Helga guffawed. "Look at you,"_

_Phoebe giggled. "That was… invigorating," She grinned._

_"C'mon Arnold," Gerald said as he took his shot. "You've gotta let loose sometimes," _

_Helga grabbed a glass for herself and handed the remaining one to Arnold. "Don't be a wet blanket, Football-head," She smirked. "Bottoms up!" Helga tossed the shot back and Arnold shrugged, following her lead._

_As the night continued, everyone was having fun, dancing, snacking, and socializing with friends. After a few drinks and a few rounds of shots, they were all pretty tipsy. After a while, Gerald and Phoebe disappeared, leaving Arnold and Helga alone. Well, as "alone" as you could be in the middle of a house party._

_Arnold was leaning against a wall drinking a beer and Helga was sitting sideways on the arm of a couch, a red plastic cup of vodka and orange juice in one hand, as they casually watched an intense game of beer pong. _

_"I wonder where Phoebe and Gerald went," Arnold spoke, taking a sip from his bottle. "They've been gone a while," _

_"You know what would be funny?" Helga snickered and almost lost her balance. "If we went looking for them and caught them making out or something and then… then they'd… they'd be so embarrassed," Helga laughed, sputtering into her cup and slipped backwards off the arm and onto the seat cushion. Luckily, she held her drink up high so it didn't spill._

_"You're drunk," Arnold laughed and reached a hand out to help her back up._

_"Pfft, I'm not drunk. I'm just in a good mood," Helga rolled her eyes and instead of getting up, readjusted herself and leaned against the arm of the couch. "Besides, so are _you_,"_

_Arnold was quiet for a moment and Helga took another sip of her drink._

_"We should do it," Arnold said suddenly and Helga choked, spitting her drink back into the cup. "We should go find them," He laughed. _

_"Oh," Helga reciprocated his laugh, hoping he was inebriated enough to ignore her peculiar response. "Yeah… let's go,"_

_The two of them wandered through Rhonda's house, excusing themselves through thick bands of their peers as they checked things out. There were three floors to Rhonda's house and on the second level they found several doors, some open and some closed._

_"Arnold," Helga whispered as she put her ear against one of the closed doors, stifling her giggles._

_Arnold looked at her then leaned against the door, also trying to listen. He didn't have much time before Helga abruptly opened the door only to find an empty study._

_"Well that was anti-climactic…" Helga shrugged and shut the door again. _

_They continued to wander around, their desire to find Gerald and Phoebe turning into a general fascination at how fancy Rhonda's house was. Neither of them had much experience when it came to "the finer things". _

_"So," Helga said, spurred by her liquid courage. "You and Lila…"_

_Arnold turned to her as they continued down the hallway, poking their heads through open doors as they passed. "Yeah?"_

_"You think you'll get back together?" Helga asked. "Or, well…do you want to?"_

_Arnold shrugged and sighed. "Nah, I don't think so," _

He doesn't think so to what? _Helga wondered. _Both?

_"Helga, check this out," Arnold disturbed her thoughts as he pushed open the door to a large bedroom with an attached bathroom. The décor was relatively generic so he figured it must have been a guest room. "It's huge," Arnold looked around once they entered. _

_The room was indeed quite large and a king sized canopy bed was the focal point. Off to the side of the room was another door and that was what Helga was investigating._

_"Holy shit!" Helga exclaimed and Arnold came over. "This is incredible,"_

_The guest bathroom was also impressive with a spacious glass stand-up shower, marble flooring, and a big Jacuzzi bathtub that could probably fit four people comfortably. _

_"I think this bathroom is as big as my living room," Arnold marveled at the Jacuzzi bath as Helga checked out the twin sinks over by the shower._

_As Arnold stepped around the bathtub, he didn't notice that a part of the floor was wet and he slipped in the puddle, sending him into the tub in a heap._

_"Arnold!" Helga cried out when she heard him fall and the grunt that accompanied the 'thud!'. "Are you okay?"_

_She hurried over to the tub, slightly wobbly on her own feet and offered a hand to help him out but when he grabbed it, she lost her footing on the slippery surface and fell in with him._

_"Ooph!" Helga grimaced but then started to laugh, barely aware that most of her body was on top of Arnold and their faces were incredibly close._

_Arnold, however, was very aware. He wasn't analyzing his thoughts, he was barely thinking, really. The only things registering to him were his proximity to Helga, the great time they'd been having, her infectious laughter, the sparkle in her eyes when she was happy, the blonde curls gently wrapping around her shoulder…_

_They were in a haze and suddenly, nothing else really seemed important. Helga stopped laughing, opening her eyes to realize that Arnold was staring at her… staring at her lips… She became very aware of their closeness and a steady heat grew in her chest, accompanying the rapid beating of her heart._

_Without warning, Arnold abruptly moved forward just close enough to kiss her lips, then lean back, leaving Helga stunned but only for a moment. The hormones swirling around them picked them up and spun them both in circles, making them dizzy and focused on nothing but one another, nothing but this moment._

_Helga grabbed Arnold's head and pulled him back, capturing his lips in a fervent kiss, unlocking every feeling, hope and desire and pouring it into him. Arnold reciprocated, his own intensity growing as Helga slid an arm around him, gripping the back of his head and pulling him in even closer. Part of him was wondering how on earth this could possibly be happening while another part couldn't fathom how or why it had taken this long. She was captivating, a beautiful enigma that he could only hope to scratch the surface of. _

_Arnold gripped her sides, pulling her flush against him as his lips sought out the delicate skin of her neck. Helga sighed at the contact and grabbed one of his hands, pulling it to her breast and causing his eyes to widen in surprise. He grinned, a dark flash in his eyes as he gave her a gentle, experimental squeeze and kissed her again. _

_Helga didn't have the mental energy to swoon or even think about what was happening. She was dizzy with desire and only wanted him closer. She wasn't thinking about her actions or what his meant and even if her mind didn't remember this moment because of the alcohol, the memory of this would be etched in her heart. Every thought she'd had earlier that night about forgetting Arnold, getting over him, learning how to stop loving him… couldn't have been further from her list of priorities. She was in the moment, taking every action, every movement, every touch, every kiss, and willing her mind and body to lock it away somewhere inside of her to never forget._

_Arnold's hands began to wander lower and lower until they reached the hem of her jeans, awaiting approval. Helga kissed him deeply, gripping his hair in one hand and trying to resist the urge to move her hips against his hand. He gently turned her over so he was on his side next to her, his hand slowly creeping beneath layers of clothing until he heard her gasp. _

_If her heart beat any faster, Helga was sure it would stop altogether. Her breath was short and she was just… so dizzy. Her head was spinning, thoughts racing faster than she could process, and colors danced behind her eyelids as she tried to understand how this could be possible. Was this even real? Was she at home, dreaming a dream that had so often haunted and teased her over the years?_

_When she couldn't handle anymore, she sat up, causing Arnold to frown in confusion and disappointment._

_"Sit," Helga pointed to the edge of the tub where there was more space and a bowl of potpourri sat against the tiled wall. Arnold paused but obliged and sat where he was told. Then Helga positioned herself in front of him and began to slowly unbuckle his belt, studying his face for a reaction. His eyes widened and though she couldn't know, his own heart felt like it was beating out of his chest. _

_Neither of them had thought to completely shut the bedroom door, nor had they shut or locked the bathroom. As Helga pulled down the zipper of Arnold's pants, the only sound they heard was a slight creak as the bathroom door opened before—_

_"OH… My word…" Rhonda stood in the doorway, dumbstruck, unable to tear her eyes away from the sight of Arnold's partially undone pants and Helga kneeling in front of him._

**[A/N: Phew... Holy cow... I hope all that made sense. I'm at a loss for words now lol. All I can say is... hormones + alcohol happened.**

**Also, to get an idea as to the mood I was imagining for this last scene, listen to the song "As long as you're mine" from the Wicked soundtrack. I think the lyrics go well with the situation. And please let me know if this was too detailed to remain a rated T fic. I'm pretty unsure about the limits and I tried my best to stay relatively tame since I don't want it to be an M fic, while still writing well and explaining what was happening so you KNOW the history...**

**I'm gonna go bury my head in the sand now.]**


	8. Chapter 8

**[A/N: So I'm glad you guys seem to feel like you have some long-awaited missing puzzle pieces now! I'm happy to say that I will continue to weave in the remaining parts of this story AND I WILL DO IT WITH JOY AND HONOR.**

**So, this chapter's a bit on the shorter side but honestly, it felt like a good stopping point. Largely because there wasn't anything else to add to these scenes and I didn't want to start the next scene because my dog has been crying outside my door and trying to break into my room for me to pet her. I CAN'T DO NOTHING! Also, it's 2 am and I am le tired.**

**Anywho, I have a few more things up my sleeve but remember, this story ends at the end of their summer! We'll see how everything else comes together soon!**

**I hope you like this chapter and thank you for reviewing and telling me your thoughts. It really helps the process knowing how you guys are interpreting the story!]**

Outside, clouds were rolling in with the threat of rain. The air had cooled and a quick breeze blew through Helga's bangs. The overcast sky had brought the dark of night earlier than it usually came in the summertime.

_How am I supposed to find him? _Helga asked herself, looking up and down the sidewalk without seeing any sign of Arnold. She took a couple steps down the stoop and heard the crashing sound of something hitting a trashcan coming from the alley next to the boarding house.

Helga cautiously made her way to the edge of the building and poked her head around. Arnold was pacing up and down the alley, his face contorted in sadness and anger, his fists clenched. Helga took a few tentative steps from behind the wall as thunder clapped somewhere in the distance behind her.

"Arnold?" She said in a soft voice but he kept pacing. "Arnold, umm…"

"Go back inside, Helga," Arnold said in a low, harsher tone than she was used to.

Helga's face fell a bit but she stood her ground. "I… I'm not going anywhere…"

Arnold stopped pacing and shot a look at her. "Fine, then I'll go," He said and started climbing the fire escape.

"No, wait!" Helga said, following him to the base of the fire escape. "Just, I mean… I think you should talk about it," She was uncertain of herself but wasn't backing down.

Arnold sighed. "I don't want to talk, Helga. I appreciate your concern but I just wanna be alone," He said and kept climbing. Light droplets had begun to fall and he could feel them dampened his hair and sticking the locks to his head.

Helga paused. "Well," She said. "I don't think you _should _be alone," She insisted, following right behind him.

Arnold rolled his eyes but kept going until he reached the roof. The rain was coming down more forcefully now and both of them were soaked in minutes, their hair slicked against their heads, their eyes blinking away raindrops balancing on their eyelashes. The window to his room was unlocked and he climbed down inside. He was starting to pull it shut when Helga stuck her foot between the window and its frame.

"Are you really gonna lock me out on the roof, _in the rain_, Football-head?" She crossed her arms and squinted her eyes at him.

Arnold sighed and let go of the window so she could open it fully and come in. "No…" He grumbled and climbed down, followed by Helga. He went into his closet and retrieved two towels, tossing one to Helga before drying his hair and wrapping his towel around him. Then he sat down at his desk, facing a bulletin board with old, frayed brochures for a place called San Lorenzo.

Helga's hair had been in a ponytail but she pulled out her elastic hair-tie to more effectively dry her hair, letting the damp locks fall onto her shoulder as she tried to soak up as much of the rain from her clothes as she could. All the while, she wasn't sure what to say to Arnold but she just couldn't leave him alone. Not after what just happened.

"Umm…" Helga broke their silence as she wrapped her now-damp towel around herself and tentatively approached, stopping at his pull-out couch and sitting down. She could only see the side of his face but his expression looked blank, almost wistful.

Before she could find her words, Arnold sighed.

"They were explorers," He said softly, his eyes falling to his hands clasped in his lap. "My parents, I mean…" He looked back up at the brochure with its beautiful palm trees and sunny background. "Before…" He paused, taking a deep breath and exhaling through his mouth. "Before my grandma got sick, I wanted to go to San Lorenzo… that's where they did their work,"

Helga listened intently, concentrating on keeping even her breath hushed so as not to disturb this moment for Arnold as he opened up to her.

"They helped the native people there… found cures for terrible diseases…" Arnold stood up and plucked the brochure from the bulletin board. "They…" He paused, steadying himself. His hair was tousled and tangled from the rain and a droplet hanging from a tuft on his forehead fell and splashed against his cheek. "They had a final mission to do just before my second birthday and… it wasn't supposed to take very long but…"

Arnold's words hung in the air and Helga already knew what he was going to say, her heart sinking for him.

"They never came back," He said quietly and hung his head. "I wanted to go to school, study something like anthropology or even medicine… And I wanted to study abroad in San Lorenzo," He sat the brochure up on top of his desk, looking back at Helga for the briefest of moments. Her face was open, soft and she didn't say a word but he knew she cared just by the way she was looking at him. He turned back away from her, hiding the way his face was crumpling. "I wanted to make them proud," He said quietly.

Helga shifted uncomfortably, her heart was breaking for Arnold and she wished she had the power to salve what was hurting him. But alas, the boy who could always solve everyone else's problems had a problem bigger than any of them could hope to fix.

"But Grandma got sick and Grandpa needed help around here," Arnold cleared his throat. He really didn't want to cry in front of Helga of all people. He always made it a point to keep this stuff to himself, to deal with it alone. "It got to a point where there was no way I could leave them… not with the boarding house going under and Grandma getting worse and worse… They-" Arnold felt tears well up in his eyes and he took a few deep breaths to steady himself but it didn't help much. "_They're the closest to parents I've ever had…_" His voice came out in a whisper.

Helga saw his shoulders shudder and she argued with herself about whether she should get up and hug him… she fought the urge, torn between what would or wouldn't be the best thing to do in this situation.

Arnold sighed and stood up, Helga's eyes alert and following him as he walked over to his bed and pulled a picture from one of the shelves over his mattress. He walked over to the couch and Helga quickly scooted over in case he wanted to sit down. He took a seat next to her, never looking at her, but he pointed the picture toward her so she could see.

"These are my parents," Arnold said solemnly. Helga studied the image - A tall, blonde man and a woman with a slightly oblong head. They looked happy, kind… and in love. "When my grandma called me Miles, this is who she was talking about…" Arnold pointed to his dad. "I love my grandparents and, and I could never let anything bad happen to them… but it already has," Arnold sat the picture down next to him on the couch and held his head in his hands, propping his elbows up on his knees. "I don't know what to do," He said pitifully.

Helga thought for a moment. She didn't have any advice – what could she even suggest in a situation like this? But her heart ached seeing the pain Arnold was going through. She slowly scooted closer to Arnold until they were side by side and when he didn't move away, she gently laid her head against his shoulder, placing her arm around his back ever so delicately. She could feel Arnold exhale a deep breath and in that breath he leaned into her embrace.

**Thursday, July 4**

The liquor store had been swamped all morning with people stocking up on alcohol for their Fourth of July cookouts. Arnold didn't get a chance to actually sit down and relax until his lunch break. In the back of the store was a small break room with a fold-out card table and metal pull-out chairs. The water heater took up most of the space in the room but Arnold just needed a place to relax for a little while – long enough to eat his sandwich in peace and de-compress.

He'd been up late the night before, thinking about his parents, his grandparents, and Helga. She'd stayed with him for a while until they both agreed they should get out of their wet clothes and go to sleep. Rather than go to sleep, Arnold had watched the storm fade away through his skylight. There wasn't anyone, aside from his grandparents, who had seen him like that or who knew as much about these feelings before her. Sure, Gerald knew the story of his parents' disappearance but he hadn't seen Arnold as broken as he'd felt last night. He'd lost his parents, even if he never really got to know them, but now it felt like he was losing his grandma… like he'd already lost her – and she was the closest thing he'd ever had to a mother growing up.

Arnold wasn't sure how to feel about this newfound sense of vulnerability. Part of him felt closer to Helga than ever, even more drawn to her than before, and yet part of him felt completely exposed and _that _was terrifying.

Arnold's phone was sitting on top of the table and when it buzzed, Arnold jumped, startled out of his daze.

It was a text from Gerald. He was currently on his honeymoon with Phoebe in Hawaii.

**_Hey man, Phoebe just told me about something you might wanna check out._**

Arnold raised an eyebrow, curious, as he responded.

**_Yeah?_**

**_She's gonna be a research asst. at the University of Hillwood: Medical Center this year and apparently they've been working on some vaccine for malaria_**

**_Umm… okay. What does that have to do with me?_**

**_Well, they're in the final stages of the approval process and are doing another round of studies to test how well it works. They're paying people to volunteer_**

That caught Arnold's attention.

**_How much?_**

**_Bout $2500._**

Arnold sat back in his chair and stared at his phone, thinking. It certainly sounded interesting and $2,500 was nothing to laugh at… but still, _malaria?_

Before Arnold could respond, Gerald sent another text.

**_Phoebe said she can tell you more about it once we come home. Or maybe next weekend when we go to the beach?_**

_Oh yeah. _Arnold thought. _I forgot about that._

**_Okay, sounds good. I'll think about it, thanks. Enjoy the rest of your honeymoon._**

**_Thanks, man. Happy Fourth_**

Arnold didn't finish his sandwich and spent the rest of his shift contemplating this malaria trial.

. . . . . . . .

When Arnold came back to the boarding house that evening, a plastic turkey standing in front of a cornucopia and wearing a pilgrim's hat was hanging on the front door. Arnold sighed and walked inside, allowing an onslaught of animals to rush past him before he closed the door behind him.

"I'm home," He called out half-heartedly.

"_In the kitchen, Arnold!_" Grandpa called from the other room.

As Arnold walked through the house, the enticing aroma of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, greenbean casserole and pumpkin pie filled his nose and he began to salivate. Grandma was sitting in the living room, eyes vacant as she watched the TV.

"Hi Grandma," He said to her with no response.

The kitchen was hot due to the oven and Grandpa was pulling out a casserole dish as Arnold walked in. Ernie was opening cans of cranberry sauce with a manual can opener and Helga was using an electric mixer to make mashed potatoes. Arnold blinked at her for a moment but walked over to Grandpa.

"_Grandpa, why are we doing this?" _He said in a hushed tone. _"She doesn't even know what's going on anymore…" _

Grandpa's smile flinched for a moment but he shook it off and sat his casserole down on the counter. "It's tradition, Arnold. You can't just throw away tradition,"

Arnold sighed and shrugged. "What can I do to help?"

"Let's see…" Grandpa pondered, tapping a finger to his chin. "Looks like just about everything's done so why don't you set the table for us?"

Arnold nodded and headed into the dining room, ever the faithful grandson.

Dinner was relatively quiet aside from Oskar begging Suzie for her turkey leg. Grandma just stared at her food, pushing it around on her plate.

"I don't think I like this," She said at one point.

"Yes, you do, Pookie," Grandpa said as he stuffed a spoonful of mashed potatoes into his mouth. "All the good Thanksgiving foods, right there," He pointed at her plate.

Grandma just stared, shaking her head.

Helga stole a glance over at Arnold who was sitting across the table from her. He was just quietly taking bites of food, his face listless and sad.

Dinner ended as uneventfully as it had begun, the poignant silence of breaking hearts ringing louder than a thousand dishes shattering against the wall.

. . . . . . . .

With nightfall came the promise of fireworks. Helga had been trying to give Arnold some space since their conversation the night before but she still couldn't help the deep yearning inside her to be with him, to comfort him and hold him in his moment of weakness and despair. But she didn't want to smother him or come on too strong – she'd already pushed him the night before and while that had worked out in the end, she didn't want to press her luck and drive him away. Finding the right balance between being there for him and being an overbearing nuisance was never a skill she'd properly mastered. So she held back and observed him from a comfortable distance.

The sun had finally set over Hillwood and Arnold settled onto a blanket he'd set up on top of the roof, leaning against the raised windows of his skylight. As chaotic as life could be at times, somehow he found peace on this roof top. Maybe it was because he was so high above the hustle and bustle of the city. Like, in some way, by being up here, he could escape from the world below and into the clouds above where nothing could touch him. Nothing could hurt him and he was free.

Over on the other side of the roof, an old piano sat with a tarp over it to protect it from the elements, though it'd proven ineffective given years of exposure to the elements. A hard lump sank into Arnold's stomach and he forced himself to look away, to redirect his focus away from those happy memories he longed to return to.

The first fireworks shot up into the sky, lighting up the night with a rainbow of blues, greens, reds, and golds. Helga quietly crept up to Arnold's room and peaked through the cracked door. She could see Arnold sitting up on the roof watching the fireworks and she thought about going up to sit with him. She imagined herself leaning against the window pane with him, her head on his shoulder and his arm wrapped around her holding her close. She leaned against the wooden doorframe to his room and sighed, watching him from a distance as her heart begged to reach out.

. . . . . . . .

**_Flashback_**

_Rhonda's intrusion catapulted Arnold and Helga out of the carnal haze they'd fallen into. _

_"Shit, Rhonda!" Helga stood up quickly, slipping in the tub and catching herself on the edge before she could fall._

_Arnold quickly fastened his belt and averted his gaze to the floor._

_"_What _are you two _doing_?!" She exclaimed but put a hand up, turning her face away. "Actually, don't tell me. I saw enough and I don't want to know anymore," She shuddered. "I need a drink," She said and left the bathroom, her face still turned up in disgust._

_There was an awkward quiet now that she was gone. The goofy, uninhibited feeling they'd just enjoyed now transformed into reality, coming down from the cloud upon which they'd been floating to earth. Partaking of the fruit of the forbidden tree now left them aware of how exposed they truly were._

_"Uhh, I—" Helga stammered, rubbing the back of her neck nervously._

_"We, umm…" Arnold said, standing up and carefully crawling out of the tub. "We should find Phoebe and Gerald,"_

_"Yeah…" Helga said, keeping her gaze low to the floor as she climbed out as well._

_Arnold breathed in deeply. _What… what was that? Where did that come from? _He was still a little dizzy but more than aware of what had just transpired as he was sure Helga was, too. It was strange. He couldn't deny how he'd been feeling but now, being ripped out of the moment like that and given the chance to think rather than act, he still couldn't understand it. How had this happened so fast? What did it mean? Sure, he'd been having a good time with Helga and there was no use pretending he didn't find her attractive… but it wasn't like he was the kind of guy to do that with _every _pretty girl he had fun with… Why was she so hypnotizing? Why did she make him feel so exposed yet… whole?_

_When Arnold and Helga emerged from the guest room and made their way down the hall, they could feel the eyes of everyone there watching them, following them as they passed._

_"Everyone is looking at us," Helga whispered through gritted teeth but Arnold didn't respond. He kept his gaze focused ahead of him as they continued down the staircase and into the living room. The crowd was slowly shrinking but there were still a lot of people there._

_"Hey," Arnold tapped Sid, who was nursing a beer and watching an intense game of beer pong. "Have you seen Gerald or Phoebe around?"_

_Sid turned around and smirked when he saw the two of them together. "Nope," He shot knowing looks at the two of them. "But from what I hear, you guys were too busy to notice a little while ago," He winked._

_"Shit, shit, shit…" Helga muttered under her breath and turned around._

_Arnold's face flushed. "O-okay, thanks anyway, Sid," He managed and turned around. "I guess Rhonda didn't waste any time," He said. _What did she say exactly?

_At that moment, Gerald came in through the front door and walked over to them. Just like Arnold and Helga, his buzz was also wearing off._

_"Where have you guys been?" Arnold said when he was in hearing range. "We've been looking for you,"_

_"Phoebe overdid it," Gerald shrugged. "She's been outside puking off and on for the past forty-five minutes,"_

_"Is she okay?" Helga asked, concerned for her friend._

_"Yeah, she seems to be feeling better now but I wanted to let you guys know we're gonna go ahead and call it a night," He paused and raised his eyebrow, looking back and forth between them and sensing the awkwardness. He knew his best friend well enough to know when something was out of place. "Everything okay with you two?"_

_"Oh, uhh, yeah," Arnold nodded a little too emphatically. "We've just, um, been looking for you guys,"_

_Gerald deadpanned. "You're a terrible liar, Arnold,"_

_Helga covered her face with one hand and shook her head. "I'm gonna go,"_

_"What?" Arnold turned to her, startled. "Oh, okay. I can take you,"_

_"No," Helga shook her head. "I-I'm fine… I need some air…" She turned to Gerald. "You're taking care of Pheebs?" He nodded. "Okay, cool," She said and brushed past them and out the front door._

_Gerald turned to Arnold, a suspicious look still on his face. "Man, what did you do to her?"_

_Arnold groaned. "You wouldn't believe me,"_


End file.
